El lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, is the loss of visual acuity without any apparent damage to the ocular structure.
Ambioplia is more common in children than in adults and occurs because one of the two eyes stops communicating correctly with the brain.
The lack of visual stimulation during eye development is one of the most frequent causes of lazy eye.
En Área Oftalmológica Avanzada We explain, then, what is amblyopia and how it is measured.
What is amblyopia or lazy eye?
Amblyopia is the loss of visual acuity that occurs without any type of alteration in the ocular structure. This decrease in visual acuity persists even if the person wears glasses or contact lenses.
Generally, lazy eye affects only one eye, but it can be present in both eyes at the same time, at which point it is called bilateral amblyopia.
Lazy eye is often caused by a lack of visual stimulation during eye development.
The diagnosis and treatment of amblyopia from childhood is a key aspect, because if this condition is not detected in time or is not treated correctly it can be prolonged until adulthood, where the possibility of being corrected is reduced.
Among the various types of amblyopia we find those caused by eye diseases. One of the most common causes is squintKnown as strabismic amblyopia, or because there is a very large difference between the graduation of one eye and the other (anisometropia).
The opacity of crystalline present in children with congenital cataract It can also cause lazy eye.
As measured?
To diagnose amblyopia it is necessary to measure the visual acuity of both eyes. The check by a ophthalmopediatra It is essential at an early age and should aim, among others, to rule out the presence of lazy eye, squint and anisometropia.
To perform the eye examination and measure visual acuity the ophthalmologist can perform different tests in the office, the most frequent are:
- Visual acuity test in both eyes.
- cover test to rule out strabismus. This test consists of the patient keeping his eyes on an object while covering one of his eyes.
- Test ocular motility intrinsic and extrinsic.
- Analysis of stereopsis to study the binocular vision.
- color quiz to discard colorblindness.
- Full check of the cornea.
- Opacity of eye structures.
- Study of refraction to diagnose refractive errors.
When is the test recommended?
All children should be seen by a pediatric ophthalmologist at age 4, or earlier.
If the child has a family history of lazy eye, strabismus or amblyopia, ophthalmologic examination during childhood is mandatory and preventive.
How do you correct amblyopia?
Treatment for amblyopia includes patching the good eye to force the eye with lower visual acuity to strain eye activity.
In addition to occlusion with patches, other techniques can be used to correct the lazy eye:
- Use of corrective glasses.
- Dilation of the pupil with atropine.
- Use of Bangerter penalizing filters on the glasses.
- Visual therapy.
There is also the possibility that the ophthalmologist recommends performing eye surgery to correct certain conditions that cause amblyopia.
Do you need to perform a test to rule out the possibility of lazy eye or amblyopia? Contact us in Área Oftalmológica Avanzada and schedule an appointment with our professionals.
