The word amblyopia describes the deficiency of some people to be able to see clearly through only one eye. This vision problem occurs frequently in children. And it happens at the moment when the nerve pathway that goes from the eye to the brain is not developed enough during childhood, causing the defective eye to send a confused and incorrect image to the brain, this causes the brain to be confused and it may ignore or reject images from the defective eye.
The amblyopia or lazy eye syndrome as it is also known, is associated with strabismus, however there are people who may have strabismus without amblyopia or vice versa. Other factors causing amblyopia can be myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, as well as the presence of cataracts in childhood. Among the main symptoms of this condition are: poor eye coordination, poor vision in one eye, inward or outward rotation of the eyes.
Ophthalmology specialists can determine if a person suffers from amblyopia by performing a complete evaluation of the eyes, often unnecessary other tests or special examinations. Among the treatments prescribed by the specialist are: if the amblyopia is caused by the presence of cataracts, then it must be corrected through surgery; If the amblyopia is caused by myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism, it is recommended to apply lenses or corrective glasses, likewise the ophthalmologist places a patch on the normal eye, in order for the brain to be forced to recognize the image emitted by the defective eye.
In many cases, infants who receive proper treatment before reaching the age of 5 have a high probability of correcting the defect, although they may continue to present difficulties with the way of perceiving depth, those children who receive treatment after age 10 they can partially restore the vision of the defective eye. It is recommended that parents be attentive and in the event of any abnormality in the children's vision consult the ophthalmologist and thus avoid permanent damage to the children's sight.
