Your ability to see is a collaborative effort between your eyes and your brain. The retina converts the light that enters the eye to neural signals. The optic nerve then delivers these signals to the brain, which translates them as an image. When one eye fails to work properly with the brain, amblyopia occurs.
Amblyopia or “lazy eye” is a vision development disorder that is common among children. It manifests reduced visual acuity even when wearing prescription eyewear. Park Slope Eye, trusted eye specialists in Brooklyn, NY, discusses this vision impairment further.
What Causes this Condition?
Based on the underlying cause, there are three classifications of this condition:
- Strabismic – This develops when the brain ignores the visual input from the misaligned eye (strabismus), leading to decreased visual acuity in that eye.
- Refractive – This happens when your child has unequal refractive errors in both eyes. The brain tends to give more attention to the stronger eye, causing amblyopia in the other eye from lack of use.
- Deprivation – This occurs when there is an obstruction in the entry and focusing of light, such as congenital cataracts.
How is it Detected?
Children rarely verbalize any visual impairment, usually because they do not realize that it is not normal. That’s why it is essential for your child to have regular eye visits, especially at the ages of 6 months, 3 years, and then every two years once they reach school age.
Taking your child’s detailed medical history serves as our baseline reference for your child’s condition. If your family has a history of amblyopia, then your child is at risk of having it too. We suggest a comprehensive eye exam in our eye care clinic in Brooklyn, New York, as this condition is not obvious at first glance. We will check if light passes all the way through your child’s eyes. We will also observe if both eyes see equally well and if they move normally.
What is Included in its Management?
We will plan for your child’s treatment regimen after performing a comprehensive eye assessment and confirming the condition. This may include wearing a patch on your child’s stronger eye for a few weeks or months. This forces the brain to use the lazy eye, stimulating its vision development. We may also consider administering atropine drops on your child’s stronger eye. This results in temporary blurred vision, so that the brain will have to rely on the lazy eye.
Our experienced ophthalmologists use advanced technologies to provide you reliable eye care in Brooklyn, NY. If you have any further questions on amblyopia, call us at (347) 380-7070. You may also complete our contact form to schedule an appointment.
