Amblyopia Treatment

Amblyopia (or lazy eye) is a condition, wherein one eye has poor vision, compared to another (In some cases, both the eyes can be amblyopic). In such cases, the affected eye sends poor images to the brain and the brain does not acknowledge such images. With time, the brain get tuned to receive the images from the stronger eye, thereby rejecting the images transmitted by the weaker one. Even though, this condition develops in early childhood, it is not usually detected during that time, as the stronger eye compensates for the poor vision of the other. The child may not realize the fact that one of his/her eyes has a poor vision. However, if the condition is not detected and treated, it may result in vision loss of the affected eye.

Amblyopia Causes

As mentioned above, amblyopia is a condition characterized by poor vision of one eye. This condition is mostly seen in children, but, can develop in adults too. In some cases, amblyopia is caused by any eye problem that affects the vision, like nearsightedness or farsightedness. Such people have one eye with good vision and the other with some eye problem. One eye produces clear images, while the other produces blurry ones. If such condition continues for a longer time, the brain get used to it and ignores the images from the faulty eye. With time, the vision of the faulty eye will deteriorate and may even result in vision loss.

Another cause is an eye condition called strabismus. In case of strabismus, the eyes are misaligned and so, fail to focus together on an object. Eventually, the brain programs itself to accept the images from one eye only, resulting in the deteriorating vision of the other. In some rare cases, amblyopia is caused by any problem (like, cataract), which prevents light from entering the eye for a long time. It has also been observed that children with low birth weight or who are prematurely born have higher chances of getting affected by amblyopia.

How to Treat Amblyopia

Amblyopia may not cause any symptom in children. However, if the child has any of the following problems, you have to take him/her to an eye specialist to get the condition diagnosed. If both the eyes of your child are not moving together or if one of them is wandering, or if the child has a squint, or an upper eyelid that droops, then, you must get the condition checked. The affected child may cry or get irritated if one of the eyes is covered. Any of these conditions may be due to amblyopia and early detection is very important in treating amblyopia.

As the condition develops due to the action of the brain that ignores the images from one eye, one method of amblyopia treatment is to force the brain to accept the images from the faulty eye. This is done by putting a patch over the good eye or to blur the other eye with eye drops. It can be a tough task for the child to use only the weaker eye with blurred vision, but, with time (weeks, months or a year), the vision of the faulty eye will improve. If strabismus is found to be the cause, then, glasses, medication, eye exercises or refractive amblyopia treatment is carried out. If there is any blockage in the eye, which is preventing light from entering the eye, then, surgery may be needed. Other eye problems, which affect the focus of one eye is often treated with eye glasses or contact lenses. Vision therapy is one of the effective amblyopia treatment for adults. However, in children, the mode of treatment is decided as per the cause and severity of the condition.

If you notice any symptom of amblyopia in your child, it will be better to take him/her to the doctor at the earliest, so as to avoid complications like vision loss.