
What exactly is amblyopia?
Amblyopia, widely known as «lazy eye», is a strange neurodevelopmental visual disorder, caused by uncoordinated and improperly developed visual perception. The primary characteristic of amblyopia is reduced visual acuity that cannot be corrected with glasses and weakened binocular vision.
The explanation of amblyopia is complex. When the visual information (images) transmitted by the eyes through the visual pathway to the human brain is of different clarity or quality, the brain selects the higher quality visual information, resulting in the neglect of the other eye (lazy eye) and inevitably leading to vision loss.
Amblyopia must be diagnosed early, while the brain still exhibits significant plasticity; otherwise, the condition of progressive vision loss becomes entrenched and is irreversible.
What are the main causes of amblyopia?
Amblyopia appears in children due to:
- Strabismus (misalignment of the eyes)
- Anisometropia (unequal refractive error between the two eyes)
- Combination of the above two ophthalmic conditions
- Deprivation of vision, resulting from congenital eye disorders
What are the main symptoms of amblyopia?
The symptoms of amblyopia depend on the age. In preschool-aged children, amblyopia is difficult to detect, unless it is associated with other disorders (e.g., strabismus). However, a child may complain about blurry vision or low clarity of objects. In school-aged children, amblyopia is linked to reduced academic performance (affecting reading speed). The ophthalmic condition can even impact the visual-kinetic coordination of a child.
How is the diagnosis of amblyopia conducted?
Most of the time, the diagnosis of amblyopia happens incidentally during pediatric ophthalmological examination, unless a child has strabismus or a congenital cataract. This is why preventive ophthalmological examinations for preschool and school-aged children are considered essential. Only with timely detection appropriate treatment can be initiated.
How can we address amblyopia? Is it treatable if diagnosed early?
The most common therapeutic approach for amblyopia is the personalized technique of patching the «strong» eye to encourage and strengthen the «lazy» one. The effectiveness of the technique is monitored through continuous observation by a specialized pediatric ophthalmologist. Good cooperation from the child is required, so parents should oversee the process.
Furthermore, there are extra techniques using modern software programs (e.g. Revital Vision), that are in position through PC monitors and screens, by using several special Gabor images, to strengthen a lazy eye, in case the candidate is suitable to follow this type of therapy.
Lamprogiannis Lampros MD, MSc, PhD, FEBOpth, FEBO-SP
Surgeon Ophthalmologist
Specialized in Pediatric Ophthalmology