Squint (Strabismus) Treatment
A squint, or strabismus, is a misalignment in which the two eyes point in different directions, and it can be corrected with glasses, exercises, prisms or surgery depending on its cause.
Speak to a specialist about Squint (Strabismus) Treatment in Agartala.
What is Squint (Strabismus) Treatment?
A squint, or strabismus, is a misalignment in which the two eyes point in different directions, and it can be corrected with glasses, exercises, prisms or surgery depending on its cause.
Also known as: Strabismus · Crossed eyes · Bhengapan · Tirchi aankh
A squint is not only a cosmetic matter. In a child it interferes with the development of binocular vision and can lead to a permanently weak eye; in an adult, a new squint usually means double vision and sometimes signals an underlying medical problem.
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How a squint presents
- One eye turning inwards, outwards, upwards or downwards
- A squint that appears only when the child is tired, unwell or concentrating
- Head tilt or face turn adopted to keep images single
- Double vision — common in adult-onset squint, rare in young children
- Closing or covering one eye in bright sunlight
- Difficulty judging depth and distance, noticed in sport or on stairs
Why squints occur
- Uncorrected long-sightedness, which drives an inward accommodative squint in children
- Imbalance in the muscles that move the eyes, or in their nerve supply
- Poor vision in one eye from cataract, injury or amblyopia, so it drifts
- Cranial nerve palsy from diabetes, hypertension, head injury or stroke in adults
- Thyroid eye disease and myasthenia gravis
- Family history, prematurity and certain neurological conditions
Treatment options at Wills Eye
Spectacles
For accommodative squint, correcting the long-sightedness alone frequently straightens the eyes completely. Surgery in these children would be a mistake.
Amblyopia treatment first
If one eye is weak it is treated before any surgical alignment, since operating on an eye that cannot see gives a poorer and less stable result.
Prisms
Incorporated into spectacles to relieve double vision in small, stable adult deviations.
Orthoptic exercises
Effective for specific conditions such as convergence insufficiency, which causes strain and doubling during near work.
Squint surgery
The eye muscles are tightened or repositioned to align the eyes. The eyeball is never removed — a common fear worth dispelling.
What to expect — step by step
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1
Measuring the deviation
Cover tests at distance and near, in all directions of gaze, repeated on more than one occasion, because the angle can vary.
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2
Cycloplegic refraction
Essential — many childhood squints are caused entirely by uncorrected hyperopia and need glasses, not an operation.
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3
Binocular vision testing
Assessing whether the two eyes can work together, which shapes the goal of treatment.
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4
Surgery when indicated
Day-care procedure, general anaesthesia for children, roughly an hour, with the eye red for two to three weeks afterwards.
Recovery & aftercare
After squint surgery the eye is red, gritty and watery for two to three weeks, and mild double vision or overcorrection in the first days is common as the brain adapts. Drops are used for about a month; children usually return to school within a week. Alignment is reassessed at three months, and some patients — particularly large or long-standing deviations — need a second procedure to fine-tune the result.
Why timing matters
Two myths cost children their vision here. The first is that a child will grow out of a squint — a constant squint does not resolve on its own and a persistent one damages vision in the drifting eye. The second is that squint surgery is purely cosmetic and can wait until adulthood; in fact, aligning the eyes while the visual system is still developing is what gives a chance of true binocular vision. Adult squint surgery is still worthwhile, and it is worthwhile for real functional and social reasons, but it corrects appearance and double vision more than it restores depth perception.
Squint (Strabismus) Treatment — frequently asked questions
Will my child outgrow the squint? +
A newborn’s eyes may wander intermittently in the first few months. Any squint that persists beyond four to six months, or any constant squint at any age, needs assessment.
Is squint surgery only cosmetic? +
No. It restores alignment, can relieve double vision, allows binocular vision to develop in children, and removes a real social burden. Insurance often recognises it as reconstructive.
Is the eye taken out during surgery? +
No. The surgeon works on the muscles attached to the surface of the eyeball. The eye is never removed from the socket.
Can a squint come back after surgery? +
Some deviations drift over time, especially large or long-standing ones. That is why we review at intervals and, occasionally, plan a second adjustment.
Can adults have squint surgery? +
Yes, at any age. There is no upper age limit, and the results in adults are generally good.
More in Children’s Eye Care
This page is written for general information about squint (strabismus) treatment and is not a substitute for examination and advice from a qualified eye doctor. Treatment recommendations depend on your individual findings.
Related treatments
Conditions and procedures often assessed alongside squint (strabismus) treatment.
Lazy Eye (Amblyopia) Treatment
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is reduced vision in an eye that is structurally normal, caused by the brain failing to develop proper connections with that eye during early childhood.
Learn more →
Pediatric Ophthalmology
Pediatric ophthalmology is specialised eye care for children, covering vision screening, spectacles, squint and lazy eye — conditions whose treatment works only while the visual system is still developing.
Learn more →
Hyperopia (Long-sightedness) Treatment
Hyperopia, or long-sightedness, is a condition in which the eye focuses light behind the retina, so near work becomes tiring and blurred while distance vision is often still good.
Learn more →