Amblyopia — also referred to as a lazy eye — is serious condition and is the leading cause of vision loss in children. Treatment to correct it should begin as early as possible.
What is Amblyopia?
Amblyopia occurs when a child’s vision does not develop properly, causing symptoms that persist into adulthood if not properly treated. The nerve pathways from the eye to the brain are not stimulated as they should be, and the result is blurry vision in one or both eyes. However, because the nerve pathways have not developed, regardless of the prescription placed in front of the child’s eyes, they will not be able to see clearly because the brain is not able to interpret the image.
There are three types of amblyopia: Strabismic, Refractive, and Deprivation.
Strabismic amblyopia occurs when the eyes do not align properly. Typically, if the eyes are not aligned, double vision results. However, because of the young adaptable brain, most children will learn to suppress or “turn one eye off.” Because the eye is not being used, proper binocular vision does not develop and Amblyopia results.
Refractive amblyopia is the result of different degrees of refractive error (glasses prescription) in each eye. Like strabismic amblyopia, the difference in prescription needed between the two eyes does not allow the two eyes to work together, so one of the visual signals becomes suppressed and proper vision does not develop. This type of amblyopia is often not noticeable unless discovered during an eye exam.
Deprivation amblyopia occurs when the eyes are deprived of visual stimulation due to cataracts or some other obstruction that causes the eye to not receive stimuli. Again, because the patient has never experienced clear vision, the nerve pathways that help develop clear vision are neglected.
How Our Developmental Optometrists Treat Amblyopia
Depending on the type of amblyopia, the treatment options differ. The mainstay of treatment for many years has been to patch the “good” eye to force the “bad,” or amblyopic, eye to develop.
While patching is still often very necessary, new research has shown that although amblyopia has traditionally been thought to affect only one eye, the treatment needs to be binocular, that is treating both eyes together. Refractive amblyopia must first be treated by correcting the degree of refractive error (amount of glasses prescription needed) in each eye so that one does not have to work harder than the other. In both refractive and strabismic amblyopia the next step in treatment is to create situations that will enable the two eyes the opportunity to develop the ability to function together in a coordinated way.
For extremely young children that require patching who may have difficulty wearing an eye patch, other options include prescription eye drops that blur the near vision in the child’s strong eye. This forces the brain to use the weak eye strengthening the visual pathways to improve its degree of vision. These eye drops do have side effects that must be considered before use. Most eye doctors will consider other options first.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amblyopia.
Amblyopia, more commonly known as lazy eye, is often associated with childhood vision problems. However, amblyopia often does not resolve itself in childhood and will persist through adulthood if not corrected.
- What is amblyopia? Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is a condition resulting from abnormal visual development. It occurs when the vision center of the brain discounts the visual signals from one eye in favor of those from the other eye. The eye itself may be perfectly capable of seeing, but the information it is sending is ignored or minimized by the brain. This may be due to a difference in clarity (Refractive Amblyopia), alignment (Strabismic Amblyopia) or light obstruction (Deprivation Amblyopia).
- What are the symptoms of amblyopia? Amblyopia symptoms can present in such a way that symptoms are overlooked. Wandering or crossed eyes can be an indication of amblyopia. Other signs to look out for is consistently bumping into objects on one side or the other and the requirement of very different corrective lens prescription for each eye.
- Why is it so important to treat amblyopia? The loss of binocular vision can cause severe visual and perceptual limitations. Without proper depth perception, everyday activities that require balance and coordination may prove difficult or even hazardous. If the condition is allowed to go untreated, the neural pathways may stabilize and regaining full use of the eye later in life can be very difficult.
- How do your developmental optometry centers detect amblyopia? Developmental optometry centers administer specialized neuro-developmental eye exams to look for signs of functional vision problems. In addition to examining the difference in refractive errors between eyes, we may also perform a cover test to check each eye’s fixation alignment — a possible factor in the brain preferring one eye’s visual data over the other as we see in amblyopic patients.
- How do your developmental optometry centers detect amblyopia? Our developmental optometrist will first correct any refractive errors of the eyes that may contribute to the brain preferring one eye’s signals over the other. We will then outline an individualized therapy program designed to remedy the amblyopia and increase binocular vision.
Need More Answers?
South Tulsa Vision Development Center is happy to answer all your questions about amblyopia and provide the answers your family members need to treat this significant vision challenge. We are here to serve you and your needs. Contact us today at (918) 949-4002 to schedule an appointment!