Lazy Eye

Lazy Eye – Amblyopia – In Early Childhood

Lazy Eye also known as amblyopia is an early childhood condition which occurs when the child’s vision in an eye does not develop properly, which means that the child’s eyesight in one eye does not develop the way it should.

The problem usually is in one eye though at times it may affect both the eyes. It is estimated that 1 out of 50 children may develop lazy eye and is diagnosed around the age of four. When one suffers from amblyopia or lazy eye, the brain focuses on one eye more than the other and tends to ignore the lazy eye and if the eye is not stimulated adequately, the visual brain cells do not mature properly.

The term `lazy eye’, does not seem to be accurate since the eye is not lazy though it may be more appropriate to use the term lazy brain since it seems to be a development problem in the brain and not an organic problem of the eye.

Unable to Focus Properly

There are usually no symptoms for a lazy eye and young children are often not aware that they are having vision problem and if they have the problem they are unable to explain it. Older children may relate that they cannot see in one of the eye.

In some cases, one eye may tend to look different from the other which is another condition that could lead to lazy eye like a squint. The person with lazy eye will be unable to focus properly with one of the eyes and while the other eye makes up for the problem, in the event the affected eye suffers as a result.

 The eye with impaired vision or amblyopia will not get clear images while the brain will not receive clear date ending in ignoring it. In several cases the brain and the good eye compensate for the shortfall so well that the child does not observe that they are facing any problem with their vision and a lazy eye is first detected only after a routine eye check-up.

Blurred/Double Vision/Squint

The symptom and signs of a lazy eye are blurred vision, double vision; eyes do not seem to work together, poor depth perception of vision, a squint which is either upwards, downwards, inwards or outwards. The eye which works like a camera has an image made up of light which comes through the lens of respective eye and beams on a light sensitive layer of tissue known as the retina.

The retina in turn conveys the image into nerve signals which are sent to the brain where it then combines the signals from each eye in a three dimensional image. Lazy eye is the result when the brain connection which is responsible for the vision does not function properly which is due to a reduction in the amount of light in the eye, confusion between eyes where two images are not same as in the case of a squint and lack of focus in the eye.

If the person suffering from amblyopia is neglected it can lead to the central vision of the eye not reaching normal levels. Do Visit Dream Health for information regarding health issues.