# Squint in eye, and glasses?



## EcoMama

Hi, just wondered if anyone had aby experience with squints? And whether it resulted in glasses or surgery?

Ive read that they're usually noticed before the age of 3, but my son is 5 and it's come on really suddenly, only noticed this week!

We have an optition app in Jan, but wondered if anyone could give advice, and share their experience?.... Everytime I google I get 'brain tumor' :cry:


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## Dopey

Hiya

My niece had a squint that didn't appear until she was 7. My sister was told that they're usually noticed before age 5 but they can develop any time. In my niece's case it was because she was long sighted in one eye and the strain of her eye trying to accommodate that had caused the squint (along with a lazy eye).

Please don't panic  they are usually harmless! :hugs: She had to do eye exercises and had an eye patch and glasses for the lazy eye.


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## EcoMama

Thank you!..... My sister had a patch due to a squint when she was young. My mum is also very long sighted, so I've always been kind of expecting it but thought, as he's 5 we've got away with it! Suppose not :wacko:

Its weird because his eye was fine a week ago and now all of a sudden its constantly turned in!


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## Bex84

My daughter has one diagnosed by 2 but her reason for it could have come on later. My daughter is long sighted and sight is worse in one eye so she relays on good eye as left started to turn off. She wears glasses and has patch 4hrs a day and her eyes have improved dramatically. It can simply be a needing glasses issue


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## Bex84

We saw big improvement as soon as she put glasses on so you may find problem is solved easily


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## EcoMama

thanks bex :)

we've got an appointment today. do you think they'll give glasses/patch today if he needs them?

I'm hoping they do, and it works as when my mum was 9 she had corrective surgery to bring the eye back in to line but it never worked. I'm so worried that it's too late to be corrected without surgery! 

I know, I need to stop worrying! I'm such an eye phobe :(


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## Bex84

Usually try glasses first or that's what did with my daughter then re tested 3 months later and decided to patch 4hrs a day. They do all that before surgery usually. Their eyes can be helped up to age of 7 as that's when the connections can be improved to brain as nerve is still maluable. Hope appointment went well. My daughter just had a check today and patching is really helping


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## EcoMama

thanks bex, had appointment. He definately needs glasses. Is a +4.25 in the eye with the squint, and a +1.75 in other. They're referring him to hosp optition to see if patching is needed, but until then we'll get him some glasses.

I'm ny bothered by it as lots of kids wear glasses, but my oh is really upset about it! :/


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## Bex84

The way I see it is that glasses are seen as a fashion accessory these days, I have a few friends who wear clear ones lol. My daughter loves hers. She has never been bothered and there seems to be a few at nursery who wear them. They have lots with characters on (my daughter has Rapunzel ones) I know specsavers did a lego range and gruffalo range. To be honest no other child has taken notice of my little girls other than to say they like them and want glasses to hahaha. My MIL and FIL are the only ones who are funny about it


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## fairypop

Nursery just told us last night they have noticed LO (4) has a lazy eye, so now am in panic mode. Feel so upset. Family members have since said oh yes we noticed that, lol, didn't say though!!!! Grrrr.

Worried how long it has been there. Worried about patching and that he wouldn't cope with it, worried it's something else, worried about glasses, worried he can't join the police or drive...argh worry worry worry.

Rang the hv who said she will refer him to the eye clinic at the hospital :( why haven't I seen it?


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## Bex84

Don't feel bad. Its difficult when you see them every day. I didnt think my daughter would cope with glasses and patching but she is fantastic. Children's eyes have until around 7 years that are changeable. Patching switches eye back on. My daughters eyes have improved so much since have glasses and patching. I know 2 people as adults who have lazy eye and they both drive


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## EcoMama

i had/have all these worries too! (except him joinibg police :haha:).....

my son has his new glasses :) He has ironman ones and loves wearing them! we're on day 3, at 1st he kept taking them on and off, or looking over the top of them but i'm surprised at how well he's doing :)

thanks for all advice :)

he still has an app in jan and is getting a referal for patching but even so far I've noticed that his eye doesn't turn in anymore when he has them on :)


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## Bex84

They might patch anyway. The glasses helped a lot with our little girl and she wore hapilly as could see the patching has improved sight in the other eye. My 2 friends who have problem have it quite badly and still drive as the optician said to me other day is that lo may never be able to see the picture in one of those magic eye tricks but it shouldent effect her further than that. Glad appointment went well


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## DippyTink

Hi - glad I found this thread. One of my twins has started to get a slight turn in his left eye (turning inwards) but it only seems to happen when he's tired. I would like to get him checked out so would I be best ringing the Health Visitor or go through the Dr ? 
Any help and advice appreciated 
X


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## Bex84

That's exactly how my daughters happened, she doesn't have all the time. I would make an appointment with Dr. Try take a photo of your lo when tiered and they then refer you to hospital. I think hvs can refer as well but I have always found referrals to be quicker through doctors


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## DippyTink

Thank you for your reply. Will be ringing the Drs on Monday morning


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## EcoMama

I went through optItion who did a preliminary test, gave prescription and glasses along with sending a letter to go to do a referral. X


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## DippyTink

I don't know how he'll cope with patches and glasses - he isn't quite 3 yet and very strong willed !


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## Bex84

My little girl was 2 when she got glasses and she took to them fantastically, we did taking photos and letting her look at self. She picked own glasses. Due to she could see better she was fine with glasses. Patching was a struggle on first day but turned out she was allergic, once we got material patch to go over glasses she is fine with wearing 4 hrs a day. We got lo a toy from bear factory and you can buy glasses for the toys there which she loved. I really thought we would have more problems when did but my lo soon recognised she could see better so you may be suprised


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## Mrs Doddy

My daughter was diagnosed really early she has had patching for 2 years and hasn't needed glasses, it helped a bit but it ended up in surgery in dec there's a huge improvement 

It's quite a common thing and not something to worry about - she has been amazing with the whole thing


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## EcoMama

Mrs doddy, I've heard that the surgery is to realign the squint rather than to improve eyesight. Is this true?.... Did your lo's eyesight improve with the patching alone? X


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## Mrs Doddy

Yes that's true the patching improved the eyesight a bit but then it didn't change for quite some time so they decided it was the right time to do the op - which is in effect cosmetic surgery


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## EcoMama

Thanks mrs doddy, so worried at the thought of my ds needing surgery, so trying to figure out of its necessary. My mum had surgery on hers when she was 5 and they did a really good job. I just have a Massive eye phobia!.... I fainted once watching my mum put her contacts in lol!


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## Mrs Doddy

It's not essential however kids at school started saying things to her , it's soon forgotten about


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## AP

Alex had her squint from an early age but she also had laser eye surgery at about 3 weeks corrected age to save her sight from ROP. She needed glasses around 2, and this was to try and help the squint. They strength of her glasses have been increased over the years, but they arent crazy strong. She gets yearly/bi-yearly checkups at the eye hospital.


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## EcoMama

I will definitely go down the surgery route of needed, if my son wants it, as I can imagine a squint can make children (and adults!) self conscious.

Thanks atomic kitten, we have hosp appointment on Monday, I've been getting ds used to maybe being a pirate for a while!.... He loves his glasses so far, which is great :) x


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## hazzabeanie

I suffered with a squint since I was 4 and had a patch etc luckily its corrected by glasses although now ay 27 if I don't wear my glasses for long periods it returns.. my son is 5 and I only noticed he was getting one about 4 months ago we have been given glasses and it has corrected the squint when on so when he is wearing them his eyes are straight we are going back on the 11th feb for a patc so fingers crossed it will make it even better, very worrying time for us parents though xxx


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## fairypop

We saw an orthoptist yesterday and she said my LO eyes turn in on both sides and she actually said they are not normal which I thought was a bit of a mean term to use :(
She has referred us on to see doc, and optician about treatment, I said will that be glasses and she said, most likely or operation but latter unlikely
:( feel really sad


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## EcoMama

:hugs: fairypop, that wasn't nice :(

Hazza... My mum is similar to you, no squint with glasses/contacts but massively with out.... No one knows though as she has to wear hers all the time.

My son had his 1st hosp app with the orthoptist. She said his eye sight is worse than the optition prescription and that the squint is slow to straighten up when he's focused which mean it'll likely never go :(

He has an app with consultant on weds for stronger glasses, then they might patch 6 months down the line.

Has anyone ever had to deal with putting drops in lo eyes? Any tips? X


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## Mrs Doddy

Drop = hell on earth there's no other way to explain it other than I had to pin her down :-(


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## EcoMama

Oh no mrs doddy :(.... Dreading it! We've bought some drops to practice at home but not going well so far :/


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