Amblyopia

What Is Amblyopia?

Amblyopia, commonly referred to as lazy eye, describes a condition in which the brain and eye aren’t cooperating effectively. This, typically, results in decreased or worsening vision. This phenomenon can be caused by a variety of factors including nearsightedness and farsightedness in one eye, irregular eye shape, eye misalignment, and clouding of the eye lens. Amblyopia is commonly diagnosed when the patient is younger and, if left untreated, can cause focusing/developmental problems. For this reason, it is imperative that this condition is caught early.

How Do You Know If You Suffer From Amblyopia?

Amblyopia is characterized by blurred vision, trouble focusing the eye and perceiving depth, as well as poor movement in the eye. There are three main causes of Amblyopia. These include:

Strabismic
Refractive
Deprivational

Therefore, there are various ways to treat this disease. The most common and used method includes the use of eye drops and eye patches to strengthen the weakened eye.

Treatment

It is sometimes difficult to even notice if you suffer from amblyopia. The brain will attempt to ignore the condition itself. For this reason, it is important to take vision tests. Once detected, the treatments usually consist of the following.

Eye Patch

This treatment consists of covering the “good eye” with an eye-patch, so the weakened eye can strengthen. It is also recommended to engage in activities that are visually stimulating. Some patients may gain permanently improved vision in weeks while others’ results may take months to years.