Amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” affects up to 2-3% of children under six, causing significant vision loss in one eye. It cannot be treated with glasses and requires a pediatric ophthalmologist’s examination. Treatment involves forcing the affected eye to strengthen its connection with the visual cortex, and early diagnosis is crucial.
Amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye,” is a vision disorder that affects up to 2 to 3 percent of children under the age of six. Children with amblyopia experience significant vision loss in one eye, resulting in a loss of stereoscopic vision and possible blindness in the affected eye. It is not a condition that can be treated with glasses or other traditional corrective methods. Amblyopic children may have two relatively healthy eyes, but the connection between one of those eyes and the brain didn’t fully develop during early childhood.
Many people confuse the symptoms of amblyopia with another disorder called strabismus (an involuntary crossing of the eyes). If a child has a form of squint where one eye stays misaligned continuously, then they could also develop amblyopia as a result. But many amblyopic children have normal eye alignment, so parents and family doctors may not recognize all the symptoms. Only an examination by a qualified pediatric ophthalmologist can reveal true amblyopia.
Treatment of amblyopia depends on the age of the patient and the severity of the affliction. Since the good eye becomes so dominant, most treatment programs involve forcing the other eye to take over visual chores for a while. Amblyopic children may need to wear patches over their dominant eye or use atropine drops to cause blurriness. These methods force the affected eye to strengthen its connection with the visual cortex. Sometimes surgery can be done to correct strabismus, but amblyopic symptoms can continue without treatment.
If the affected eye strengthens its connection with the visual cortex of the brain, then eyeglasses can be fitted to the child if necessary. A common cause of amblyopia is a significant difference in the visual acuity of each eye. The brain chooses to process information from the eye with the least amount of distortion. Treating amblyopia in older children or adults has not always been as successful, as the brain becomes very comfortable with the images produced by the ‘good eye’ over time. Early diagnosis and treatment are therefore very important for the child and his parents.
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