Amblyopia
is the vision in one of the eyes is reduced because the eye and the
brain are not working together properly. The eye looks normal, but it
is not being used normally because the brain is favoring the other eye.
This condition is also sometimes called lazy eye.
This page contains
Lazy eye amblyopia sign and symptoms
Symptoms
may include noticeably favoring one eye or a tendency to bump into
objects on one side. Symptoms are not always obvious.
Lazy eye amblyopia causes
Anything
that interferes with clear vision in either eye during the critical
period (birth to 6 years of age) can cause amblyopia. The most common
causes of amblyopia are
- constant strabismus (constant turn of one eye),
- one eye is more nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatic than the other eye and/or
- blockage of an eye due to cataract, trauma, lid droop, etc.
Amblyopia
is a neurologically active process. In other words, the loss of vision
takes place in the brain. If one eye sees clearly and the other sees a
blur, the brain can inhibit (block, ignore, suppress) the eye with the
blur. The brain can also suppress one eye to avoid double vision. The
inhibition process (suppression) can result in a permanent decrease in
the vision in the blurry eye that can not be corrected with glasses,
lenses, or lasik surgery.
Lazy eye amblyopia diagnose test
An
eye exam by a pediatrician or the 20/20 eye chart screening is not
adequate for the detection of amblyopia (and other visual conditions).
The most important diagnostic tools are the special visual acuity tests
other than the 20/20 letter charts currently used by schools,
pediatricians and eye doctors. Examination with cycloplegic drops can
be necessary to detect this condition in the young.
Since
amblyopia usually occurs in one eye only, many parents and children are
unaware of the condition. Many children go undiagnosed until they have
their eyes examined at the eye doctor's office at a later age.
Comprehensive vision evaluations are highly recommended for infants and
pre-school children.
Lazy eye amblyopia treatment
Treatment
involves glasses, drops, vision therapy and/or patching. Recent medical
research has proven that amblyopia is successfully treated up to the
age of 17.
Treating amblyopia involves making the child use the
eye with the reduced vision (weaker eye). Currently, there are two ways
used to do this:
Atropine
A drop of a drug called atropine
is placed in the stronger eye once a day to temporarily blur the vision
so that the child will prefer to use the eye with amblyopia. Treatment
with atropine also stimulates vision in the weaker eye and helps the
part of the brain that manages vision develop more completely.
Patching
An
opaque, adhesive patch is worn over the stronger eye for weeks to
months. This therapy forces the child to use the eye with amblyopia.
Patching stimulates vision in the weaker eye and helps the part of the
brain that manages vision develop more completely.
Previously,
eye care professionals often thought that treating amblyopia in older
children would be of little benefit. However, surprising results from a
nationwide clinical trial show that many children age seven through 17
with amblyopia may benefit from treatments that are more commonly used
on younger children. This study shows that age alone should not be used
as a factor to decide whether or not to treat a child for amblyopia.
Early
diagnosis increases the chance for a complete recovery. This is one
reason why we recommends that children have a comprehensive optometric
examination by the age of 6 months and again at age 3. Lazy eye will
not go away on its own. If not diagnosed until the pre-teen, teen or
adult years, treatment takes longer and is often less effective.
