Amblyopia, or what is commonly known as lazy eye , is a common condition that occurs in children from birth to 7 years old. Lazy eye can cause sufferers to experience different quality or focus of vision in the right and left eyes. So, the brain interprets the vision seen by the good eye and ignores the vision from the eye with lazy eye . This then becomes more dangerous when it is not detected early, where the child becomes accustomed to the vision problem and does not convey it to his parents.
Causes of Amblyopia
Amblyopia can occur due to several factors, such as:
- Crossed eyes/strabismus
Squint or strabismus is a condition where the left eye and right eye are not aligned and look in different directions. A person who experiences this condition will have one eye that looks forward, and the other eye looks up, down, or to the side. So, sufferers are unable to focus their gaze on one point and the brain will tend to ignore vision from eyes that are not straight and cause amblyopia. - Refraction problems
Differences in the speed of light entry/refraction that occur in the two eyes, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, cause vision to become blurred and sent to the brain. A brain that is not used to receiving clear signals and images can lead to Amblyopia. - Cataracts in children
A child can also experience Amblyopia when he or she has an anatomical or structural problem that makes vision blurry, such as cataracts. - Other distractions
The presence of other disorders such as injuries that occur in parts such as the cornea or the front layer of the eye also have the potential to cause vision problems and potentially lead to lazy eye . Apart from that, other conditions such as drooping eyelids can also be a cause of Amblyopia.
Amblyopia Symptoms
There are several symptoms that commonly occur in children when they experience lazy eye that children may rarely be aware of, so parents need to be aware of them, including:
- Both eyes do not appear to work simultaneously
- One of the eyes is not straight, either inward or outward
- Difficulty estimating distances
- Often squint or close one eye
- Often tilts the head when looking
- Poor vision test results
Amblyopia Treatment
To treat and treat someone with Amblyopia, the brain needs to be forced to pay attention to the image signals seen by the amblyopic eye. There are several efforts that can be taken, such as using glasses, eye patches, atropine eye drops, or even surgery if necessary.
These are some of the causes, symptoms and treatment of Amblyopia. If your child or relative experiences similar symptoms, immediately consult a trusted doctor to get the right treatment.
Article written by dr. Willibrordus Tantri Winaksa, Sp.M (Eye Specialist at EMC Hospital Cikarang).