What is it?
Squint, medically called strabismus, is when the eyes don't line up in the same direction at the same time — one eye may turn in, out, up, or down relative to the other. It can be present from early childhood or develop later in life, and it's more common than many people realize.
Common symptoms
- Eyes that appear to point in different directions
- Inconsistent eye alignment (sometimes more noticeable when tired)
- Squinting or tilting the head to see more clearly
- Double vision (more often reported by adults with new-onset squint)
- In children: avoiding using one eye, or bumping into things on one side
Causes & risk factors
- Issues with the muscles that control eye movement or how the brain coordinates them
- Uncorrected refractive errors (significant far-sightedness, for example)
- Family history
- In adults, sometimes related to another underlying health condition affecting nerves or muscles
When to see a doctor
In children, any noticeable eye misalignment is worth a prompt evaluation — the general pediatric ophthalmology guidance is that early assessment gives more treatment options time to work as vision is still developing. In adults, new double vision or a newly noticed misalignment should also be evaluated promptly, since it can occasionally point to another underlying issue worth ruling out.
What treatment generally involves
Depending on the type and cause, treatment options an eye doctor may discuss include glasses, an eye patch or vision therapy, and in some cases surgery to adjust the eye muscles. Outcomes vary by individual and by how early treatment begins, particularly in children — which is the main reason early evaluation is emphasized rather than a “wait and see” approach.
Everyday habits that help
- Routine childhood eye exams, even without obvious symptoms
- Prompt evaluation of any noticed misalignment, at any age
- Correcting significant refractive errors early