Squint Eye Treatment: At what age should squint be treated?

In this video, we will discuss Squint Eye Treatment. This problem should be tackled at the earliest. There are different criteria for different deviations of the eye.  If immediate treatment is not given when the eye deviates inwards towards the nose, which is called esotropia, then the patient may experience vision loss. In addition, there are chances of developing a lazy eye. We can even consider operating on a 4-month-old baby with esotropia. If the alignment is not straight even after getting correct glasses and other eye exercises, the surgery becomes necessary because it causes vision loss. 

If the eye deviates outside, which is called exotropia, then we can wait for a while. This can be operated on a child up to 3-4 years of age. The surgery can be planned when the child is reliable enough to focus and get the correct diagnosis. If we wait longer than suggested to get the correct treatment for exotropia, the patient may not have vision loss. But his depth perception is affected. Exotropia cannot be treated after 5 or 6 years of age. 

Exercises for Squint Eye Treatment

There is a squint that happens in intervals. The eye deviates towards the ear only when the child is sleepy or tired. For the rest of the day, the eye is positioned correctly.  In such cases, we suggest some conversion exercises for the child. And he is asked to do things that need focus like, reading, coloring, writing. These activities strengthen the muscles responsible for the eye’s movement, and the child gets control over the movement of the eye. These patients are observed for months. A surgical operation is planned if the deviation keeps getting further apart or the child is experiencing lower depth perception. 

Surgery for Squint Eye Treatment

Certain diseases cannot be treated without surgery. So if vision loss is a consequence, then the operation is planned at the earliest. On the other hand, if the child has exotropia and has no grave danger, such as vision loss, the operation can be planned when the child is old enough to assist in the examination.