Noticed one eye drifting — in your child, or in yourself? Squint is very treatable, and in children the earlier it's seen the better. Our Thane centre handles squint for every age.
It usually starts with a photograph. A grandparent notices that one of the child's eyes drifts slightly inward in the picture, or a teacher mentions that the little one tilts her head when reading from the board. And almost always, someone in the family says the same reassuring line: don't worry, children grow out of a squint.
Here is the honest truth, and Dr. Simandhar Sable says it gently to every worried parent who walks into the Thane clinic: most children do not simply grow out of a genuine squint. A newborn's eyes can wander a little in the first few months while the muscles settle, and that is normal. But a turn that is still there after six months, or one that appears later, is a signal that deserves an eye examination, not a wait-and-watch from the sofa.
The reason early action matters so much is what happens quietly behind the scenes, in the brain rather than the eye itself.
A child's brain does not enjoy seeing double. When the two eyes point in different directions, they send two mismatched pictures, and to escape the confusion the young brain does something clever but costly. It starts ignoring the picture from the weaker eye.
Do that for long enough and the eye that is being ignored never learns to see properly. This is amblyopia, what most families call a lazy eye. The eye can look perfectly healthy, the child may not complain of anything at all, and yet the vision in that eye slips further behind month by month.
The window for fixing this is widest in the early years and narrows as a child grows. Treat a lazy eye early and vision usually recovers beautifully. Leave it until eight, nine, ten years of age and the loss can become permanent, no matter how good the surgery or glasses are later. That is why we do not wait. A squint in a young child is not a cosmetic worry we can revisit in a few years. It is a time-sensitive vision problem.
Parents are the real experts on their own child, and the things they mention at the clinic are often the most useful clues. A visible turn of one eye, sometimes only when the child is tired or unwell. A habit of tilting the head or turning the face to one side to look at something straight on. Screwing up or closing one eye in bright sunlight, which is very common when a child heads out to play.
Older children might sit unusually close to the television, lose their place while reading, or shy away from catching a ball because their depth perception is off. Any one of these is worth an unhurried check. None of them means the worst, but all of them are reasons to come in rather than to guess.
The first visit is not about surgery. It is about understanding. Dr. Sable personally examines the child, measures exactly how much the eye is turning, checks the vision in each eye separately, and works out why the squint is there in the first place. Sometimes the whole problem is a refractive error, and a simple pair of glasses straightens the eyes remarkably well.
If a lazy eye has already set in, patching the stronger eye for part of the day forces the weaker one back to work, and children adapt to this far more easily than parents fear. Some benefit from specific eye exercises. And where the eye muscles themselves are imbalanced, a day-care squint surgery gently repositions them so the eyes line up. It is done under care, the child usually goes home the same day, and it is a routine part of what we do.
The plan is always matched to the child, never one-size-fits-all, and it is explained in plain language so the family knows exactly what is happening and why.
Squint is not only a childhood story. Plenty of adults live for years with an eye that turns, having been told long ago that nothing could be done, and they carry a quiet self-consciousness about it in photos, in interviews, in every first meeting. Others develop a squint later in life and suddenly find themselves seeing double, which can be unsettling and even affects driving or work.
For adults, alignment surgery can straighten the eyes for comfort, for clearer single vision, and yes, for confidence. It is never too late to have the eyes assessed. When a squint appears newly in an adult, it also matters to find out the cause, since it can occasionally point to a nerve or neurological issue that needs attention, and a thorough examination sorts that out.
Dr. Simandhar Sable has been treating eyes in this region since 2004, and in nearly three decades he has learned that a squint consultation is as much about calming an anxious parent as it is about measuring an angle. He examines every patient himself and gives you the honest picture, not an oversell.
The Thane clinic is near Veer Hospital in Yashodhan Nagar, open Monday to Saturday from 10 in the morning to 8 in the evening, and you can reach it on 096993 57676. The centre is CGHS empanelled, with cashless treatment and 0% EMI available, so cost need not stand between your child and the care they need.
We measure the angle and check vision in each eye.
Glasses or patching strengthen a weaker eye in children.
Glasses, exercises, or squint surgery to align the eyes.
Ensuring alignment holds and both eyes work together.
In the first few months a little wandering can be normal while the eye muscles mature. But if you still notice a turn after about six months, or it comes and goes as the baby grows, have it checked. It is a quick, painless examination and far better than guessing.
A true squint rarely disappears on its own, and waiting risks a lazy eye developing while you do. The safe move is a single eye examination now. If nothing needs doing, you will be reassured. If something does, you will have caught it in the window where it is easiest to fix.
Usually not. Squint muscle surgery is generally a day-care procedure, so the child typically goes home the same day. Dr. Sable will explain exactly what to expect for your child's specific case before anything is planned.
Yes. Adults can have their eyes straightened surgically for better alignment, comfort and confidence, and many are relieved to learn it was possible all along. Come in for an assessment and we will tell you honestly what can be achieved.
See an eye specialist soon. New double vision in an adult needs its cause identified, because occasionally it points to a nerve or neurological issue as well as a muscle imbalance. A proper examination finds the reason and guides the right treatment.
Yes. The Thane centre is CGHS empanelled, and we offer cashless treatment and 0% EMI options so that the cost can be managed comfortably. Ask us at the clinic and we will walk you through what applies to you.
Consult Dr. Simandhar Sable — book a slot at our Thane clinic today.
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