Many adults believe squint is only a childhood issue. In fact, adults develop misalignment too — sometimes a childhood squint that was never treated, sometimes a completely new problem.
A new squint in an adult usually causes double vision, because the mature brain cannot ignore the second image the way a child’s brain does. Causes range from nerve palsies related to diabetes or blood pressure, to thyroid eye disease, to simple decompensation of an old, controlled squint.
The important message: new double vision should be evaluated promptly, because it occasionally signals something that needs urgent attention. And a long-standing squint that bothers you — functionally or in appearance — can be treated at any age.
An alignment assessment measures the deviation precisely and guides whether prisms, medical treatment or surgery would help.