What is the squint?

It is a visual defect in the position of the two eyes, where each point in a different direction, one of the eyes may be straight (pointing forward) while deviating the other eye is inward or outward, first up or down.

The imbalance of the position of the eyes may be observed continuously, or it appears and disappears at other times, and this imbalance may be transmitted between the eyes and this condition usually appears in Children, and the percentage of its appearance in the hoofs in the United States, for example, is 4%. It also appears in advanced stages of age. Amblyopia appears in the same percentage in males. And females and may be genetically transmitted from fathers to sons, but there are exceptions to this rule.

How do the eyes work together?

In the case of a healthy person, the eyes point to the same point, and the brain combines the two images in the form of an image, One is three-dimensional, which gives the sense of depth, and when one of the eyes deviates, two images are sent When this condition appears in a young child, the brain learns to ignore the image from the brain The deviated eye sees only the image from the straight or better-seeing eye and as a result loses Baby’s sense of depth.

When strabismus appears in adults, they often have double vision because the brain is trained to receive image, from both eyes and cannot ignore the image from the deviated lazy eye.

Good vision is formed during early childhood and both eyes are in a straight position.

The brain accepts the image from the healthy eye and ignores the image from the weak, lazy eye, and this appears in about 50% of children for people with amblyopia.

Lazy eye can be treated by covering the healthy eye and improving vision in the weak eye. Usually, treatment succeeds if it is done. Diagnosis of lazy eye in the first years of life, but if treatment is delayed, lazy eye becomes a permanent condition. In the child, and as a rule, the earlier the diagnosis of lazy eye is, the better the vision will be children.

What is the reason of squint?

The sure cause of strabismus is not fully understood. We must know that there are six muscles that control the strabismus One eye movement and these muscles connect to the eye from the outside, and in both eyes there are two muscles that move the eye Right and left, while the other four muscles move the eye up and down and to any oblique angle The muscles in both eyes must work together in parallel to parallel the direction of the eyes and to determine the direction of vision in a point ,One and this allows the movement of the eyes in the same coordinated way The brain controls the movement of these muscles, so strabismus appears in some children who suffer from it of the following cases:

-Cerebral palsy.

-Mongolian.

-Hydrocephalus.

-Brain tumors.

-Strabismus can also result from cataract surgery or because of a severe eye injury.

What are the symptoms of strabismus?

The main symptom of strabismus is the presence of an eye that is not straight and in some cases, children with strabismus deviate one of their eyes in sunlight, Shining or tilting their heads in an attempt to use both eyes together.

How is amblyopia diagnosed?

Strabismus can be diagnosed through an eye examination, so children’s eyes are examined by an ophthalmologist before or at, The age of four, and in the event of previous cases of strabismus or lazy eye in the child’s family, it must be examined before the age of four the third.

How is amblyopia treated?

The main purpose of treatment is Maintaining strong eyesight Correction of the position of straight eyes Restoring the healthy vision of both eyes, and the ophthalmologist decides the method of treatment after a comprehensive eye examination, either by wearing Medical glasses or surgery to correct balance in the eye muscles or to remove cataracts, if present, and cover The healthy eye to treat lazy eye in the weak eye.

What are the types of alcohol?

Medial or internal strabismus:

It is a strabismus resulting from the deviation of the eye to the inside, and it is the common type of strabismus in children.

Children with amblyopia do not use their eyes together, and early surgery is usually necessary to adjust the position of the eyes

The doctor adjusts the tension on the muscles of one or both eyes, and this adjustment reduces the attraction of the eye inward and allows it to move more freely.

There is another way in which the doctor shortens the external muscle to allow the eye to move outward.

Adaptive lateral strabismus:

This type of strabismus is common among children with farsightedness at the age of two years or more. When a child is small or has farsightedness, His attempt to focus his gaze on objects close to the eye, which leads to the return of the eye to its normal position. Special eye drops and ointments help or Prismatic lenses to correct the position of the eye.

Lateral or extrinsic strabismus:

It is a strabismus resulting from the deviation of the eye outward and appears when the child strains his eyes in an attempt to focus his eyes on distant objects. Brutal strabismus appears, only from time to time, especially when he is stray, tired or sick, as parents notice that one of their child’s eyes deviates outward when facing a light Bright sun although glasses or prisms with eye exercises may help correct the position of the eye, surgery may be necessary.

How is strabismus surgery performed?

The ophthalmologist makes a small opening in the tissue surrounding the eye in order to reach the muscles surrounding it. The position of the eye muscles is corrected according to the direction of the eye deviation and strabismus correction surgery is performed in children under the influence of general anesthetic after surgery, the patient may need glasses or prisms, and in some cases, he may need another surgery to keep the eyes in the normal position.

For children with persistent squint, early surgery provides an excellent opportunity for the eyes to function normally, and the best for the child is this procedure

Surgery before school ageLike any other surgery, there may be some risks to the surgery, such as infection, bleeding or severe limping, which may lead to the loss of part of vision.

Strabismus surgery is a safe and effective procedure for treating eye deviation, but it does not dispense with the use of eyeglasses or the treatment of lazy eye caused by strabismus

What is new in the treatment of strabismus?

The American Food and Drug Administration has approved the limited use of a new drug called (Botox) as an alternative to strabismus surgery. This drug is injected into Deviated eye muscles, which leads to relaxation and tension of the opposite muscles, so the eye returns to its normal position, although the effect of the drug remains in the body for several only weeks, but in some cases it leads to permanent correction.