Are you one of those parents who think their child’s squint will go away on its own? Well, it’s high time you understand it generally doesn’t! However, no need to lose hope. Paediatric eye treatment is now very much available at some reputed hospitals in the country. The only need is awareness!
What is an Eye Squint?
Strabismus, commonly known as crossed eyes or eye squint, is a condition in which both eyes seem to be looking in different directions. It happens due to a lack of alignment in one eye. While the healthy eye focuses well, the squint eye may turn inwards, outwards, upwards, or downwards. However, it is also possible that both the eyes have a squint. As per studies, 2 – 5% of Indian children suffer from strabismus. For premature babies, the prevalence goes up to 30 – 40%.
How to Detect a Squint Which is Not Noticeable?
Minor squints in children may not be easy to identify. So, parents should stay alert and watch out for signs like –
- Child complaining of blurred vision
- Frequent headaches and eye strain
- Child often rubbing eyes
- Red or watery eyes
- Discharge from the eyes
- Eyelids getting swollen
- Eyelids sticking together
- Child finding it difficult to read
- Child’s inability to comprehend distances
- Child stepping too close to things to see
- Whitish opacity in the eye
What Causes Squint?
There could be diverse reasons behind cross-eyes, including:
- Family history
- Birth defect
- Neurological ailments like nerve damage, stroke, brain tumors, Down syndrome, head trauma, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, etc.
- Viral infections like measles and dengue fever
- Refractive errors (eye sight issues) like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia.
Treatment for Squint
As parents, you should understand it is only with early detection and prompt action that you can get your child’s squinted eyes treated. Timely treatment can also lower the risk of complications like double vision and amblyopia. Experts opine that the younger the child is, the higher the likelihood of the treatment proving effective. Eye squint is commonly treated with:
Eyepatch: A patch is put on the healthy eye to cover it. This forces the other (squinted) eye to work better.
Eye Glasses: If the squint is due to hypermetropia or farsightedness, spectacles are generally used for treatment.
Eye drops & Eye Exercises: Paediatric eye specialists also use eye drops and exercises to correct squint in kids.
Injections: When the root cause of strabismus cannot be identified, doctors may use a botulinum toxin injection. Injected into a muscle on the eye surface, it weakens the muscle temporarily. This helps eyes align well.
Surgery: When no other treatment proves effective, strabismus surgery is recommended. It can realign your child’s eyes and correct binocular vision. Sometimes, both the eyes have to be operated to achieve the right balance.
Vision Therapy for Squint Correction
Prescription eyeglasses and other above mentioned treatments help effectively cure squint. However, specific eye exercises can also promote coordination between eyes. You can talk to your child’s eye specialist about combining vision therapy with the eye squint treatment – for enhanced results.
Mirror Gaze
Cover your child’s healthy eye. Hold a mirror in front of them. Ask the child to gaze (look) into the mirror straight with their squint eye. Repeat multiple times. Take a short break. Now, tell the child to try looking at the nose-bridge. Mirror gazing, a combination of patching and gazing, helps improve coordination.
Finger Focus
Keep your index finger at an arm’s length from the child’s eyes. Ask them to gently look at your fingertip for 5-10 seconds. Then, slowly move your finger closer to their eyes. Repeat the exercise for 3-4 minutes for better results.
Pencil Push-ups
Hold a pencil at an arm’s distance from the child’s eye and a little below their eye level. Slowly move the pencil closer to their eyes. Ask them to focus on the pencil till the image breaks. Repeat the exercise 15-20 times, twice a day.
Brock String Workout
Tie one end of a 10-15 feet long string to an immobile object, say a chair. Place the beads at equal intervals. Hold the string tightly up to the child’s nose. Firstly, the child has to focus on the bead closest to their face. After that, ask them to focus on the other beads, one by one. This exercise also helps improve coordination between eyes.
Palming
This simple exercise helps the child’s eyes relax after performing vision therapy. Rub your hands vigorously for 15-20 seconds, and place your warm palms on the eyes of the child. This calming exercise helps relieve eye-tension and enhances the performance of eyes.
Simple Tips for Healthy Eyes
Here are some ways that parents can use to improve their children’s vision:
Healthy Diet: Include more food items, such as carrots and spinach, in the child’s diet. Loaded with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc, they promote retinal health.
Restrict Screen Use: Set a fixed time during which kids can use mobile, computer, and watch TV.
Blinking Habit: Develop a habit of frequent blinking in your child. It will ensure that the child’s eyes do not get strained.
Conclusion
As parents, you should be very alert about your kid’s eyes. Apart from watching for anything abnormal, be particular that you take them for regular eye examinations. It will help detect eye problems early, should there be any. Timely diagnosis of such eye issues as strabismus helps correct them, which may otherwise become challenging as the child grows up.
Sohana Hospital, the best eye hospital in Punjab, has expert paediatric eye specialists and most advanced treatments to cure eye squint and other eye issues in children. Best results are seen in children younger than 2 years of age. However, with sophisticated treatments and proper care, eye conditions can be rectified in older children too.
Don’t turn a blind eye to eye issues. Timely intervention is essential to save your kid’s sight!
