Amblyopia is a childhood condition, where on eye is weaker than the other. The brain cannot combine the pictures of the two eyes, with the end result to ignore the   picrure fronm the weaker eye and use the picture from the stronger eye. This means that a  children suffering from amblyopia usew only the strong eye to see, with the end result that the weaker’s eye vision deteriorates continously. Amblyopia usually appears to only one of the two eyes.

          The  problem appears between birth and thw age of seven. In most cases the child. In most cases the child does not notice that it uses only one eye because the brain’s choice of the stronger eye is an automatic organic reaction.  Usually, early diagnosis and therapy of the condition can correct amblyopia. The sooner the amblyopia therapy starts the higher the probability that the child will develop normal eyesight. Amblyopia is often refered as “lazy eye”.

When does Anblyopia appear?

• When the two eyes do not focus on the same object. In case of strabismus, when the eyes are not  aligned sa as to look in the same direction, teh brain receives two pictures and blocks one of them. The eysight of the eye that is not used gradually deteriotates 
• When there is anisometropia. Anisometropia is the refractive condition where the two eyes have different magnitude  (>2,00D) or type of refractive error(myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism ). So  nad in this case there is “good” and a “weak” eye. As in the case of strabismus the brain receives two pictures choosing the “best” resulting in a gradual deteriotation of the eyesight of the already weak eye.
• When some other reason stops the light from entering the eye. Such reasons may be congenital cataract or some disease of the cornea. Without early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention the child may never develop good eysight in the afflicted eye.

What are the symptoms?

In most cases amblyopia has no visible symotoms, but a parent can notice if the child may has some refractive abnormality when:

• The child complains or even cries when we cover one eye.
• The two eyes of the child are not in line wheb focusing on a point.
• Whne the child’s eyes are half closed or  leans the head to see wiht ther “good eye
• When the eylid of one eye droops a bit more than the other.                                                                                                                                                                                                          In case you notice one or more of the above you must visit your ophthalmologist  immediately  As usually early diagnosis and the appropriate therapy will help the child develop normal eyesight.

Amblyopia therapy

In most cases amblyopia is cured using glasses. The refractor correction and treatment protocol are determmned in a case by case basis. So primsatic glasses, refraction correction glasses  or covering the strong eye to force the operation of the weak eye. Child eyesight develops mostly up to the age of 6 and keeps developing until 9 to 10 years old. In teh case of amblyopia it is very important for therapy to start as much as possible before the age of 6.

          In many cases children do not take nicely to wearing corrective glasses or to the blocking of one eye. To help therapy you may:

1. Explain to the child covering an eye will help to see better.
2. Inform teachers, coaches and friends about the child’s condition and explain what must teh therapy requires and what they can do to help.
3. In the case that blocking an eye is required you can choose gauze or stickers with appopriate designs.
4. Carry out various activities that require observation and concentration (painting, puzzles) when the child wears the corrective glassw or blofking sticker.

Poor familirization and poor awareness concerning preventive ophthalmogical checkup are the basic reasons for not diagnosing anisometropia in childhood which is a basic reason for one sided loss of sight. Correct and early use of glasses helps with the correct developement of the child’s eyesight and,  by extension, of the  physical and intellectual abilities and skills.