Thursday, February 14, 2008

Squint Treatment

Squint Treatment
Squint is misalignment of the eyes such that the right and left eyes are pointed in different directions Though it is a common condition among younger populations affecting 2 to 4 percent of children it may also appear later in lifeThe misalignment may be permanent or it may be temporary occurring occasionally The deviation may be in any direction inward outward upward or downward Squint may be caused by any of the following The primary sign of squint is an eye that is not straight Sometimes a youngster will squint or close one eye in bright sunlight Faulty depth perception may be present Some children turn their faces or tilt their heads in a specific direction in order to use their eyes together Treatment Parents often get the false impression that a child may outgrow the problem If a childs two eyes are pointed in different directions examination by an ophthalmologist is necessary to determine the cause and to begin treatment The goals of treatment are to preserve vision straighten the eyes and to restore binocular vision Treatment of squint depends upon the exact cause of the misaligned eyes It can be directed towards unbalanced muscles or other conditions which are causing the eyes to point in two different directions After a complete eye examination including a detailed study of the inner parts of the eye an ophthalmologist can recommend appropriate optical medical or surgical therapy

Some squints are caused by refractive errors In such cases squint can be corrected by prescribing proper spectacles Most patients require surgical correction Surgery is done under general anaesthesia in children and under local anaesthesia in cooperating adults To undergo general anaesthesia the child should be free from acute illness Parents should inform the doctor if the child is having any systemic problems such as cardiac disease or epilepsy Routine investigations before surgery include a blood test and an Xray of the chest Surgery is done either on both eyes simultaneously or on one at a time Surgery is done on eye muscles situated outside the eyeball The principle of surgery is to weaken the stronger muscle and strengthen the weaker muscle Either one or several muscles may be operated upon depending on the type and severity of squint Eye is bandaged for one day after surgery After surgery eye drops are to be used for one month Oral medication is not required except in a few cases Hospital stay is only two days First followup is one month after surgery If amblyopia is present frequent follow up appointments for a longer duration are required It is unnecessary to restrain the normal activity of the child

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