Squinting (strabismus)

The Squinting (strabismus) is a misalignment of the eyes, which can manifest itself in different forms in both children and adults. Squinting is not only a visual blemish on the affected person, but is also associated with considerable impairment of vision, so that treatment should be started as soon as possible.

What is squinting (strabismus)?

Squinting is understood to mean a misalignment of the eyes, which is also known as strabismus. This malposition is often associated with a disability of vision, so that after the diagnosis relatively quickly, a therapy should be initiated.

Squinting, which occurs in the population at around 4 percent, can be subdivided into different forms. Thus, a distinction can be made between inward squinting, outward squinting as well as height and roll squinting. If the misalignment of the eyes in a permanent state, is also spoken of a manifest squint.

causes

Also, eye muscle paralysis in some cases causes a sudden squint in adults, often associated with double vision. In other cases, squinting is again based on a congenital, unequal refractive error, which can be further intensified by the absence of glasses that are actually necessary. Even a generally weak and limited health of the patient may be the cause of strabismus.

This condition can be caused for example by infectious diseases or psychoses. Even the ever-increasing everyday demands on vision in some cases lead to visual disturbances such as strabismus. If strabismus occurs in an infant in the first four months of life, it may also be the so-called baby squint, which is usually harmless.

Symptoms and course

Typical symptoms of strabismus:

The squinting can be recognized in the first place by the characteristic misalignment of the gaze, in which the eyes are directed in different directions. In addition, it can also cause a tremor of the eyelids and a crooked head posture in the patient. In many cases squinting is also accompanied by frequent blinking, winking or squinting of the eyes.

Also, a high photosensitivity in the patient may occur, which is associated with headache, eye burning or double vision and can cause large concentration problems in the affected person. The visual impairment caused by strabismus is further noticeable by the frequent stumbling, passing or missing of targeted goals.

diagnosis

In order to treat strabismus as successfully as possible, it is particularly important to diagnose this early. It can be seen in a normal ophthalmological examination usually already by its typical symptoms and the characteristic eye position. In addition, however, some early detection tests and procedures are also possible to detect strabismus in the patient.

Here, for example, the so-called uncovering and uncovering test should be mentioned, in which initially an eye is covered to determine whether the uncovered eye reoriented. In turn, the reveal test makes it clear whether the revealed eye makes a certain movement. If this is the case, one can assume a hidden squint.

However, not only squinting can be determined by the different tests, but also other possible diseases in the area of the eye can be excluded. In addition, the respective form of squinting can usually be diagnosed in the context of the examinations, as a result of which a suitable therapy can be initiated relatively quickly.

Treatment and therapy

Since strabismus is always associated with visual impairment or similar problems, it is particularly important after diagnosis to initiate appropriate therapy as soon as possible. Often, even the wearing of ideal spectacle lenses can significantly improve the patient’s squint angle. In most cases, the visually impaired eye is also treated via a so-called occlusion therapy.

Within this treatment, the healthy eye is masked with an eye patch to strengthen the weaker eye in its activity. Also, in the case of present strabismus, the eye can be treated by surgery of the eye muscle. This is mainly used for particularly large squint angles.

It is important that the optimal time of the operation within a comprehensive diagnosis is determined individually for each patient. In addition to the surgery, pre- and post-examinations are performed by an orthoptist. Also, after the operation at regular intervals a subsequent control of the eye must be done at the doctor.

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