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$Title{More About "Amblyopia"}
$Subject{eyes vision lazy eye sense lazy amblyopia sight childhood child
nearsightedness farsightedness astigmatism blind blindness senses see seeing
care children kid kids nearsighted farsighted}
$Volume{F-21,S-21}
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Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


More About "Amblyopia"


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QUESTION:  My mother called the condition a "lazy eye," but when I took my
baby to the doctor he diagnosed it as "amblyopia".  There seems to be a lot of
treatment involved and I would like to know more about this problem.  Will you
please answer this very important question for me?

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ANSWER:  Amblyopia is decreased or poor vision in an eye that has no
detectable damage either in the eye or the visual pathway.  The eye doesn't
develop normal sight during early childhood, usually because the child
experiences double vision from a turned eye condition and so blocks out
(suppresses) the image falling on the turned in eye to avoid seeing double.
The eye then becomes "lazy" from not being used.  Vision is now poor in that
eye and the eye is considered to be "amblyopic".  This also occurs when one
eye is out of focus with the other because of a stronger degree of
nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.
     Children should be checked at 6 months, certainly before age 3, so the
doctor can diagnose and treat the condition while the child is still young.
Once the visual system is completely developed, vision in the eye cannot be
restored.  Remember that the condition can go undetected because the child is
not aware that he is seeing out of only one good eye.  Careful eye
examinations will reveal vision problems as well as any eye disease such as a
cataract, which may lead to amblyopia.
     Treatment for amblyopia involves forcing the child to use the weak eye.
The eye will be patched; glasses may be prescribed to correct errors in
focusing; surgery or exercises may be recommended to correct misaligned eyes.
Early detection and prompt treatment can prevent the blindness that can
develop from amblyopia.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.