# Normal person becoming squint-eyed... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205 "2013-06-29T15:12:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kalemikk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@kalemikk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kalemikk)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/1 "2013-06-29T15:12:52Z")
I’m asking this about a coworker I’ve known casually over the years mainly from watercooler conversations. His eyes were normal about a month ago, when I saw him before going on my vacation. Last week, I’m back and I notice that he has gone totally (and I mean both pupils on the inside) squint. Anyway I didn’t want to bring up the topic and we just chatted casually for a couple of minutes and went our ways. Now, what could cause somebody who has normal eyes a couple weeks ago to go fully squint like that? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/2 "2013-06-29T16:30:02Z")
What do you mean when you say his “pupils” are squinting. Squinting refers a way of holding your eye muscles and eyelids, in a tense, squeezed together posture, and doesn’t refer to anything about the eyeball itself. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/3 "2013-06-29T16:44:25Z")
He may have become light-sensitive for any number of reasons. Or you may have become hard to look at. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/4 "2013-06-29T17:14:08Z")
I know a guy with [keratoconjunctivitis sicca](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratoconjunctivitis_sicca)(dry eye). When he runs out of medication he squints, until he refills his prescription, then he is fine. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/5 "2013-06-29T21:52:10Z")
nm. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/6 "2013-06-30T12:42:43Z")
My guess is blepharospasm. It can be treated with Botox. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/7 "2013-06-30T12:54:57Z")
He’s turning Japanese, I think he’s turning Japanese, I really think so. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/8 "2013-06-30T13:20:48Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, **kalemikk**. Questions about medical conditions go in IMHO, so I’ll move this thither for you. **twickster** , MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/9 "2013-06-30T15:20:18Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > What do you mean when you say his “pupils” are squinting. Squinting refers a way of holding your eye muscles and eyelids, in a tense, squeezed together posture, and doesn’t refer to anything about the eyeball itself. A “squint” can colloquially mean having crossed eyes. ---
**Author:** ![kalemikk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@kalemikk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kalemikk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/10 "2013-06-30T15:42:25Z")
twickster, Thank you. EmilyG, Only you seem to have got my question, I should have used ‘cross-eyed’ instead of ‘squint’. Cyros, racist much? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/11 "2013-06-30T16:13:10Z")
> [@kalemikk](#): > > Cyros, racist much? Not racist 1980s music. https://www.youtube.com/embed/gEmJ-VWPDM4?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/12 "2013-06-30T16:17:51Z")
Heh. Never heard “squint” used to mean cross eyed. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/13 "2013-06-30T16:22:49Z")
I’m still not sure if the poster means that this person is cross-eyed, or if the pupils are constricted (very small). ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/14 "2013-06-30T16:35:55Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I’m still not sure if the poster means that this person is cross-eyed, or if the pupils are constricted (very small). Here’s the original poster’s answer: > [@kalemikk](#): > > … I should have used ‘cross-eyed’ instead of ‘squint’… ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/15 "2013-06-30T16:43:49Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Not racist 1980s music. > [http://youtu.be/gEmJ-VWPDM4](http://youtu.be/gEmJ-VWPDM4) Thank you, although now I feel old. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/16 "2013-06-30T16:48:26Z")
> [@kalemikk](#): > > twickster, Thank you. > > EmilyG, Only you seem to have got my question, I should have used ‘cross-eyed’ instead of ‘squint’. > > Cyros, racist much? I see, that does make a difference, since the two words mean different things that are unrelated to each other except they both happen to eyes. Is the ‘crosseyedness’ uniform in both eyes? I can’t think of any reason that would set in in adulthood that isn’t neurological. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/17 "2013-06-30T17:39:14Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > … > Is the ‘crosseyedness’ uniform in both eyes?.. The OP’s answer: > [@kalemikk](#): > > … > Last week, I’m back and I notice that he has gone totally (and I mean **both pupils on the inside** ) squint…? (bolding mine) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/18 "2013-06-30T17:42:55Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. Never heard “squint” used to mean cross eyed. Me neither. Must be one of those regional things, like calling all soda “coke.” ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/19 "2013-06-30T22:51:02Z")
Here [http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/11](http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/11) Adult Strabismus ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205/20 "2013-06-30T22:56:03Z")
I think what the OP meant by “both pupils on the inside” is that he was squinting so much that his eyelids covered his pupils. Think French Stewart. If it happened that fast, my guess is… a)He’s off a med, as mentioned earlier. b)He’s on a med. Accutane, for example makes your eyes very dry and very sensitve to light. I could hardly walk outside without sunglasses on while on that med. c)Maybe for some reason he’s not wearing contacts right now and he was before and is trying to cope without glasses. Also, have you seen him more then once? Maybe he just had something in his eye that day. You could ask around the office. Maybe when it ‘happened’ he told other people and since you were out, you missed the memo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/normal-person-becoming-squint-eyed/662205.md?page=2)