Normally referred to medically as strabismus, it is a condition in which the visual axes of each EYE are not directed simultaneously at the same fixation point (i.e. the eyes do not point at the same object at the same time). Squints may be: (a) Paralytic, where one or more of the muscles, or their nerve supply is damaged; this type usually results in double vision. (b) Non-paralytic, where the muscles and nerves are normal. It is usually found in children. This type of squint can be either the cause or the effect of poor vision.

Squints may be convergent (where one eye ‘turns in’) or divergent (one eye ‘turns out’). Vertical squints can also occur but are less common. All squints should be seen by an eye specialist as soon as possible. Some squints can be corrected by exercises or spectacles; others require surgery.