What is amblyopia?
Amblyopia is an eye problem that causes loss of or poor vision in one or both of a child’s eyes.
Amblyopia usually affects only one of the eyes, but sometimes it can affect both.
Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision problems in children.
Causes & Risk Factors
What causes amblyopia?
Anything that happens to blur a child’s vision or cause the eyes to become crossed may cause amblyopia. For example, children who havestrabismus (also called “crossed eyes”), cataracts, a droopy eyelid or who need glasses to see better may get amblyopia.
All babies are born with poor eyesight. As babies grow, their eyesight gets better. In order to develop good eyesight, both eyes needs to provide a clear, focused image that is the same in both eyes. If the image isn’t clear in one eye or if the image isn’t the same in both eyes, the child gets a different picture from each eye. The child’s brain naturally tries to fix this problem by blocking out the picture from the weaker eye. If the problem is not fixed when the child is young, the child’s brain will always ignore pictures from the weak eye, causing amblyopia.
Treatment
How is amblyopia treated?
The treatment for amblyopia depends on what is causing it. After the cause of the amblyopia is found, the child will need to use the weaker eye most of the time, so it will get stronger. To make the child use the weaker eye, a patch can be put over the stronger eye. Sometimes, eye drops or special glasses are used to blur the vision in the stronger eye. This makes the weaker eye become stronger. Patches may be used all day or part of the day, depending on the child’s age and vision.
Glasses or contact lenses fix some problems. Surgery may be needed for cataracts, droopy eyelids or crossed eyes.
Treatment usually lasts until vision is normal, or until vision stops getting better. For most children, this takes several weeks. A few children need to use eye patches until they are 8 years to 10 years of age.
Why is early treatment important?
The first few years of life are the most important for eyesight. After a child is 8 years to 10 years of age, the brain’s vision system is complete. It can’t develop anymore. If the amblyopia hasn’t been treated by this age, the child will have poor vision for life. It won’t be possible to fix it with glasses, patching or any other treatment.
There’s a small chance that using an eye patch for too long can hurt the strong eye. For this reason, children who are wearing eye patches should see their doctor often during the treatment.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- Will my child always have vision problems?
- What is the best way to treat amblyopia?
- Will my child need glasses or contacts?
- My child needs to wear an eye patch. How long will he or she wear it?
- Are there any long-term problems from amblyopia?
Bibliography
Citations
- Amblyopia by Doshi NP, Rodriguez MLF (American Family PhysicianFebruary 01, 2007,http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070201/361.html )
- The Eye in Childhood by MD Mills (American Family PhysicianSeptember 01, 1999,http://www.aafp.org/afp/990901ap/907.html )
Amblyopia, Pediatric
Amblyopia, which is sometimes called lazy eye, is present when one eye cannot focus well and has trouble seeing. Vision is produced when light reaches the part of the eye that is called the retina, where it is converted into signals that are sent to the brain. The brain uses these signals to create the images that you see. Amblyopia happens when one eye produces weaker signals than the other eye. The brain ignores these weaker signals and favors the stronger ones. If amblyopia is not treated, it eventually leads to vision loss in the weaker eye.
What are the causes?
Amblyopia can be caused by any condition that makes the eyes focus improperly, including:
- Astigmatism. Astigmatism is poor eyesight from an abnormal curvature of the eye.
- Strabismus. Strabismus, which is sometimes called crossed eyes, is a condition in which the eyes do not move together in the same direction.
- A cataract or other type of blockage. A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye.
What increases the risk?
Your child may have a greater risk for amblyopia if he or she:
- Has strabismus, poor eyesight, or cataracts.
- Has a family history of amblyopia.
- Was born prematurely.
- Weighed less than normal at birth.
- Has a mother who used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy.
What are the signs or symptoms?
Signs and symptoms may include:
- Poor vision in one eye.
- Difficulty with judging the distance between objects (depth perception).
- A crossed eye or an eye that turns in, out, or up.
- An eye that drifts away from the other eye (phoria).
- Bumping into objects, especially on one side.
How is this diagnosed?
Amblyopia can be diagnosed with an eye exam.
How is this treated?
Treatment may include:
- Glasses or contact lenses. These may help to correct amblyopia that happens when the shape of the eye prevents it from focusing properly.
- An eye patch. Placing an eye patch over the stronger eye may stimulate vision in the weaker eye.
- Eye drops. These may be used to blur vision in the stronger eye to strengthen vision in the weaker eye.
- Surgery. This may be done to remove a cataract or to correct strabismus.
It is very important to treat amblyopia as soon as possible. Without treatment, your child’s vision in the weaker eye will continue to get worse.
Follow these instructions at home:
- Make sure that your child wears glasses, contact lenses, or an eye patch as directed by his or her health care provider.
- Have your child use eye drops only as directed by his or her health care provider.
- Keep all follow-up visits as directed by your child’s health care provider. This is important.
Contact a health care provider if:
- Your child’s vision problems seem to worsen, even after treatment.
