The brain and the eye work
together to produce vision. Light enters the eye and is
changed into nerve signals that travel along the optic nerve
to the brain. Amblyopia is the medical term used when the
vision in one of the eyes is reduced because the eye and the
brain are not working together properly. The eye itself
looks normal, but is not being used normally because the
brain is favouring the other eye. It is a gross difference
of vision in the two eyes. This condition is also sometimes
called lazy eye.
Amblyopia is a common cause of visual impairment in
childhood. Unless it is successfully treated in early
childhood, amblyopia usually persists into adulthood, and is
the most common cause of monocular (one eye) visual
impairment among children and young and middle-aged adults.
What causes Amblyopia?
Amblyopia may be caused by any
condition that affects normal visual development or use of
the eyes. Amblyopia can be caused by strabismus, an
imbalance in the positioning of the two eyes. Strabismus can
cause the eyes to cross in (esotropia) or turn out (exotropia).
Sometimes amblyopia is caused when one eye is more
nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatic than the other eye.
How is Amblyopia treated in
children?
The treatment of Amblyopia is most effective
when done early in the child's life, usually before age 7;
after this there is no treatment. Treating amblyopia
involves making the child use the eye with the reduced
vision (weaker eye). There are two ways used to do this:
Patching
The classic and best treatment for Amblyopia is to put a
full time opaque patch on the normal better seeing eye.
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. The patch is worn full-time
during waking hours except for 1 hour per day. The child
is patched 1 week per year of life. If a child is 7 years
of age, therefore this means he gets a full-time patch for
7 weeks. Three cycles of full-time patching should be
tried. Patching can be achieved by several different means
and the doctor can tell the best way. Patching forces the
amblyopic eye to see and this develops the vision in that
eye.
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.
Can amblyopia be treated in
adults?
During the first six to nine
years of life, the visual system develops very rapidly.
Complicated connections between the eye and the brain are
created. Scientists are exploring whether treatment for
amblyopia in older children and adults can improve vision,
but there are no standard guidelines yet.
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