Strabismus is characterised by the fact that the eyes (one or both) can turn inwards, outwards, upwards or downwards. It is also known as ‘wandering eye’ or ‘strabismus’.

Children over the age of six months can have a common form of squint that comes and goes. This type of squint may be normal but requires an ophthalmological examination.

Some children are born with strabismus, but it can also be the result ofpoor muscle strength in the eyes.

Signs and symptoms of strabismus can include a child with squinty eyes, an inability to judge distance and pick up objects correctly, closing one eye to see better or dizziness.

Early diagnosis of the underlying problem is essential to prevent vision loss. Strabismus can be treated in a number of ways: masking the stronger eye to increase vision and encourage development of the weaker eye, wearing glasses, eye drops, surgery to straighten the eyes, or eye ‘gymnastics’ exercises.

Presbyopia is a development that can be explained by the increasing difficulty or inability to see things up close as a person ages.

Suddenly, you can only read the newspaper or restaurant menus by holding them at arm's length, at the cost of effort and eye strain.

The eye'scrystalline lens is a kind of lens that enables us to focus and bring objects into image focus. Unfortunately, from the age of 40 onwards, the crystalline lens loses its flexibility and no longer bulges sufficiently to bring objects into focus.

The eye no longer perceives close-up objects clearly and accurately. Images are blurred. The near image is formed at the back of the retina. The result is increasing difficulty in seeing up close. 

The astigmatic sees objects distorted since light rays are only partially focused on the retina, only part of the image is projected onto it. Astigmatism may be isolated or associated with myopia or hyperopia.

Astigmatism is corrected by flattening the most cambered cornea, and/or cambering the flattest part, in order to obtain a perfectly round cornea.

It can begin in childhood or adulthood and can easily be corrected if it is the cause of the sight problems. Some signs and symptoms of astigmatism can be headaches, eye strain, difficulty reading and fatigue.

Depending on the severity, glasses or contact lenses may be necessary. Laser refractive surgery can correct astigmatism up to 5 dioptres.

Hypermetropia is often characterised by an eye that is too ‘short’. Vision is blurrier up close than at a distance.

Present at a very early age, it sometimes corrects itself spontaneously as the child grows.

If it persists into adulthood, the cornea can be made more curved by laser correction of hyperopia.

Hyperopia can be corrected with glasses, lenses or refractive surgery which moves the projection of the image on the retina forward in order to get a sharp view.

There are multiple signs and symptoms, including: permanent Strabismus or only when the child is tired which leads to eye rubbing, lack of interest in school with handwriting leaning over the table, the child holds books too close to their face leading to nausea after reading.

Amblyopia is characterised by a decrease in vision that occurs in an anatomically healthy eye, but which has not been able to send good visual stimuli to the brain.

It is generally preventable if the underlying cause is treated before the age of six.