Amblyopia

A Vision Disorder

Amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye,” is a vision development disorder where one eye fails to achieve normal visual acuity, even with prescription glasses or contact lenses. It typically develops in early childhood and is the leading cause of vision impairment among children.

Causes

Strabismus: Misalignment of the eyes, where one eye may turn in, out, up, or down, leading the brain to favor the other eye.
Refractive Errors: Significant difference in the prescription (hyperopia, myopia, or astigmatism) between the two eyes can lead to one eye becoming “lazy.”
Deprivation: Obstruction of vision in one eye due to conditions like cataracts, droopy eyelids, or other issues that block the eye’s visual stimulus during early childhood.

Symptoms

Poor depth perception
Squinting or shutting one eye
Tilting the head to see better
Eyes that appear to not work together
Favoring one eye over the other

Diagnosis

Amblyopia is typically diagnosed during routine eye exams, particularly in young children. Eye doctors may use various tests to measure visual acuity and assess how well the eyes work together.

Treatment

Glasses or Contact Lenses: Corrects refractive errors.
Patching: Covering the stronger eye to force the weaker eye to work harder.
Atropine Drops: Blurs vision in the stronger eye, encouraging use of the weaker eye.
Vision Therapy: Exercises and activities to improve eye coordination and visual processing.
Surgery: In some cases, surgery may be necessary to correct eye alignment or other underlying issues.

Early detection and treatment are crucial for effective management of amblyopia. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent vision loss in the affected eye.