Lazy eye (amblyopia): symptoms, treatment, etc. • hello healthy

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What is amblyopia (lazy eye)?

What is lazy eye (amblyopia)?

Amblyopia is a type of vision disorder. In layman's language, amblyopia is also called lazy eye or lazy eye.

Quoted from the National Eye Institute, amblyopia is a type of bad vision that occurs only on one side of a child's eye.

This condition is caused by the eye muscles and brain nerves that don't work together properly.

Over time, your child will experience normal vision on one side of the eye temporarily lazy eye or lazy eye on the other hand will blur until it gets worse.

It should also be noted that lazy eye rarely affects both eyes.

If you don't get proper treatment right away, your child's brain will increasingly ignore vision and will not control how the eyes work.

This can endanger vision until the signs of blindness in children begin to appear.

How common is this condition?

Ambilopia or lazy eye is a very common condition, generally occurs in children from newborns to 8 years of age.

At least, 2 to 3 out of 100 children can experience the condition lazy eye.

Lazy eye can be treated and prevented by reducing the risk factors. Talk to your doctor for more information.

What are the signs and symptoms of amblyopia (lazy eye)?

Although initially difficult to know, the most common symptom of amblyopia is when the child has difficulty knowing how close or far something is being seen.

You as a parent may also notice when your child has difficulty seeing clearly.

The following are signs and symptoms of amblyopia or lazy eye , as:

• Eyes that point inward or outward
• The eyes that look don't cooperate
• Squinting or closing one side of the eye
• Squint or eyes shut
• Looking with your head tilted
• Tendency to hit objects on one side
• Double vision

Sometimes, lazy eye conditions won't show up if you don't do a child's eye exam.

Not only that, this condition also looks like a squint, but amblyopia or lazy eye not squint. Even so, crossed eyes can cause lazy eyes.

Therefore, it is necessary to check first whether the results are normal or not.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns when your child experiences certain symptoms, consult a doctor.

When to see your child to the doctor?

If your child seems to have any of the above signs or symptoms, do an eye exam on your child.

Moreover, every child has their own conditions. Always consult a doctor to treat your little one's health condition.

What are the causes of amblyopia (lazy eye)?

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, anything that makes a child's vision blurry or squints can cause lazy eyes.

In many cases, doctors don't know what causes lazy eye conditions. However, this can develop when you experience abnormal vision.

There is a change in the neural pathways between the retina and the brain, causing the eye's ability to decrease..

There are several types of causes of amblyopia, including:

1. The difference in visual acuity (refractive errors)

The cause of this amblyopia occurs when visual acuity experiences problems or significant changes.

Therefore, children experience nearsightedness, farsightedness, or imperfect eye surface which is called astigmatism.

2.Muscle imbalance (strabismus)

Usually, the eyes experience movement simultaneously. However, the cause of this lazy eye causes the child's eyes to become misaligned.

This is due to the imbalance of the muscles in the positioning of the eye.

3. Eye problems

Another condition that causes your child to experience amblyopia or lazy eye is clouding in certain eye areas.

For example, a congenital cataract that blocks vision because everything becomes blurry. This is a type lazy eye the worst.

What puts a child at risk for lazy eye?

Some children are born with lazy eyes. Then, there are those who experience it because the symptoms develop from childhood.

Some of the factors that can increase the risk of amblyopia in children are:

• Babies are born prematurely
• Born with a body size smaller than average
• Genetic factors or family history
• Experiencing developmental disorders
• Vitamin A deficiency

How is amblyopia diagnosed?

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

The eye doctor will perform a routine eye exam to assess the vision in both eyes.

This includes checking for discrepancies as well as bad vision in both eyes.

Then, the doctor will use drops to widen the eyes. Eye drops can cause blurred vision within a few hours to a day.

The methods used to test vision related to amblyopia depend on the child's age and stage of development:

Preverbal children

A magnifying device equipped with a beam can be used to detect cataracts.

Another test is to look at the ability of a baby or toddler to establish a view and follow a moving object.

Children 3 years and over.

The next test is an eye vision examination that uses pictures or letters so that it can assess the child's vision. Each eye is alternately closed to test the other eye.

How is amblyopia (lazy eye) treated?

It is important to start medication and management of lazy eye in children as early as possible. This is because when you are a child, the eye-brain connection can still be formed.

For example, treatment that is carried out from the age of 7 will get the best results.

Even so, in the age range of 7 to 17 years, children can still respond to the treatment they are doing.

Treatment options for amblyopia or lazy eyes depending on what causes and how badly the condition affects the child's vision.

Here are some options for coping and treatment recommended by doctors, such as:

• Corrective glasses. Glasses or contact lenses help with nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism that cause lazy eyes.
• Blindfold. It is used on the normal side of the eye to stimulate the weak side of the eye.
• Bangerter filter. This method uses a special filter that is placed on the eyeglass lens to stimulate the eye to become stronger.
• Eye drops. Eye drops such as atropine will help push against the weak side of your child's eye.
• Operation. If the child has crossed eyes or eyes in the opposite direction, it may require surgery on the eye muscles.

Activities such as drawing, putting together puzzles, or playing games on the computer, can be treatments for lazy eyes.

However, further research is still needed to prove whether these activities are effective or not.

Most of the children with the condition amblyopia or lazy eye , it may take several weeks or months for vision to improve sufficiently.

The length of treatment may last from six months to two years.

You also need to monitor lazy eye care performed on children. If this condition returns, then treatment is needed again.

What complications can amblyopia have?

The most common cause of amblyopia or lazy eye is squint or strabismus.

Strabismus makes the right and left eyes out of alignment, so the images sent to the brain are not the same, or even contradictory.

This condition can result in blindness lazy eye because the brain always ignores stimuli or signals received from that part of the eye.

When the brain doesn't get stimulated, over time the nerves in the lazy eye will be damaged and eventually cause permanent blindness.

What can be done to prevent lazy eye?

Here are lifestyle changes that can help you prevent amblyopia:

• Early detection and treatment for strasbismus, astigmatism, cataracts, and other vision problems.
• Complete eye examination such as photo screening , visual evoked potentials , acuity charts and stereopsis tests, as well as binocular functions.

Babies or children who are at high risk for amblyopia should be watched carefully for early signs of this condition.

Generally, the earlier amblyopia is detected and treated, the less negative it will have on the visual system.

Examination can be done since he was 6 months old and again when he was 3 years old.

Prevention taken as early as possible will provide better overall vision.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your child's vision problems.