Amblyopia
The eye, muscles that control the eye, optic nerve, and the area of the brain that gives us vision are completely developed, no matter how perfectly or imperfectly, by the age of six. Vision deficiencies that may have occurred during development will be difficult to treat after vision development is completed. Many of these problems, when caught early enough can be completely corrected, and the earlier they are diagnosed, the better the chance of correction and the easier and less expensive the treatment. Children’s vision disorders include near-sightedness, far-sightedness, astigmatism, strabismus and other eye problems that can cause amblyopia.
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is the eye condition noted by reduced vision where the brain, for some reason, does not fully acknowledge the images seen by the amblyopic eye. This almost always affects only one eye but may manifest with reduction of vision in both eyes. It is estimated that three to five percent of children under six have some form of amblyopia.
Both eyes must receive clear images during the critical eye development period. Anything that interferes with clear vision in either eye during the critical period (birth to 6 years of age) can result in amblyopia. The most common causes of amblyopia are constant strabismus (constant turn of one eye), anisometropia (different vision/prescriptions in each eye), and/or blockage of an eye due to trauma, lid droop, etc. If one eye sees clearly and the other sees a blur, the good eye and brain will inhibit (block, suppress, ignore) the eye with the blur. Thus, amblyopia is a neurologically active process. If not treated, the inhibition process (suppression) can result in a permanent decrease in the vision in that eye that cannot be corrected with glasses, lenses, or lasik surgery. Since amblyopia usually occurs in one eye only, many parents and children may be unaware of the condition. Far too many parents fail to take their infants and toddlers in for vision screening and many children go undiagnosed until they have their eyes examined at the eye doctor's office at a later age.
Early treatment of amblyopia is usually simple, employing glasses, drops, and/or eye patching. Improvements are possible at any age, but early detection and treatment of amblyopia offer the best outcome. If not detected and treated early in life, amblyopia can cause a permanent loss of vision with associated loss of stereopsis (two eyed depth perception).
Vision screenings such as those conducted by the NMLOKS, Inc., are needed for all young children. The 20/20 eye chart or acuity screening is difficult to perform in young children. Note that amblyopia causes more visual loss in the under 40 group than all the injuries and diseases combined in this age group.
Brenda Dunn
Program Manager, New Mexico Lions Operation Kidsight, Inc.
818 S. Solano Drive Las Cruces, NM 88001
575-525-5631
Fax: 575-524-1699
Email: nmlionskidsight@gmail.com
Website: nmlionskidsight.com
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is the eye condition noted by reduced vision where the brain, for some reason, does not fully acknowledge the images seen by the amblyopic eye. This almost always affects only one eye but may manifest with reduction of vision in both eyes. It is estimated that three to five percent of children under six have some form of amblyopia.
Both eyes must receive clear images during the critical eye development period. Anything that interferes with clear vision in either eye during the critical period (birth to 6 years of age) can result in amblyopia. The most common causes of amblyopia are constant strabismus (constant turn of one eye), anisometropia (different vision/prescriptions in each eye), and/or blockage of an eye due to trauma, lid droop, etc. If one eye sees clearly and the other sees a blur, the good eye and brain will inhibit (block, suppress, ignore) the eye with the blur. Thus, amblyopia is a neurologically active process. If not treated, the inhibition process (suppression) can result in a permanent decrease in the vision in that eye that cannot be corrected with glasses, lenses, or lasik surgery. Since amblyopia usually occurs in one eye only, many parents and children may be unaware of the condition. Far too many parents fail to take their infants and toddlers in for vision screening and many children go undiagnosed until they have their eyes examined at the eye doctor's office at a later age.
Early treatment of amblyopia is usually simple, employing glasses, drops, and/or eye patching. Improvements are possible at any age, but early detection and treatment of amblyopia offer the best outcome. If not detected and treated early in life, amblyopia can cause a permanent loss of vision with associated loss of stereopsis (two eyed depth perception).
Vision screenings such as those conducted by the NMLOKS, Inc., are needed for all young children. The 20/20 eye chart or acuity screening is difficult to perform in young children. Note that amblyopia causes more visual loss in the under 40 group than all the injuries and diseases combined in this age group.
Brenda Dunn
Program Manager, New Mexico Lions Operation Kidsight, Inc.
818 S. Solano Drive Las Cruces, NM 88001
575-525-5631
Fax: 575-524-1699
Email: nmlionskidsight@gmail.com
Website: nmlionskidsight.com