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Optical confusion

1/ 7/2008

Q My three year old child appears to have a squint. His left eye turns in, especially when he is tired or looking at books. Does he need to see an optician?

A A squint (or strabismus) is when one of the eyes does not point in the direction of the object it is looking at. In children it is very important that they see either an optometrist or are referred by the GP to an orthoptic clinic so they can be assessed.

If a squint is not dealt with, there is a likelihood that the turning eye will become lazy, a process that is irreversible after about the age of seven.

Many squints in children, particularly ones which only seem to occur when tired or concentrating are often due to long sightedness as the eye focuses and converges to overcome the error. If they are tired, they don't have the same control over their eye muscles and the eye can wander.

Temporary patching may be required over the good eye to force the weak eye to work. This is often used in young children under six years.

More serious causes of squint will need to be explored too, especially in babies, as the cause may be due to a tumour, or due to birth defects of the eye such as infantile cataracts or nerve damage.

Children don't often complain of poor vision in one eye, so always get children's eyes checked every six months.

For a consultation with Martyn, telephone 0161 834 7798