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Amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye”
What is amblyopia?
Amblyopia, known as “lazy eye”,is a decrease in visual acuity caused by an abnormal development of vision, due to a visual stimulation disorder in the brain. In other words, it is an eye that has the ability to see correctly (it is well formed and the eye structures are intact), but has not learned to see, because it has not been properly stimulated.
Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in children and affects about 4% of children, although the vision loss it causes can persist into adulthood, if not addressed in time during childhood.
Symptoms
Causes and risk factors
Treatment
Most commonly, amblyopia is not noticed, because the child sees well with one eye, while simply not using the “lazy” one. Thus, we can say that it is an asymptomatic pathology, which is usually not diagnosed, except with an eye examination. Hence the need for children to see an ophthalmologist every year from the age of 3-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Amblyopia, known as lazy eye, is a reduction in vision that occurs when the brain does not properly develop the visual ability of one or both eyes during childhood. It may be related to strabismus, significant differences in prescription or problems that prevent the image from reaching the brain correctly. Treatment is most effective when it is detected during the period of visual development.
Treatment for amblyopia depends on its cause and may include glasses, patching, optical penalization or other treatments. In some cases, an eye disease must be treated first or a strabismus corrected. The aim is to stimulate visual development in the affected eye.
Yes. Amblyopia can go unnoticed, especially when it affects only one eye and the other provides adequate vision. For this reason, check-ups during childhood are important to detect it early.
The patching time depends on factors such as the degree of amblyopia and the child’s age. The ophthalmologist will set the treatment schedule and carry out check-ups to assess progress.
Amblyopia can improve with treatment, especially when it is detected during the period of visual development. The outlook depends on the cause, the child’s age, the degree of amblyopia and the response to treatment.
Consistency with treatment is important to achieve good progress. If the child has difficulty wearing the patch, the ophthalmologist may consider other penalization strategies or adapt the treatment to their needs.