About 4% of children &
between 1-5% of the adult
population is affected by this visual impairment
Amblyopia, commonly known as ‘Lazy eye’, is a vision-related disorder that affects young children. And you can get this condition treated using our Amblyopia therapy software!
In some children, only one of the two eyes focuses properly. This is a vision problem called lazy eyes (the medical term for this is Amblyopia). It is caused when the two eyes send different images to the brain. For example, it may happen if one of the eyes is more nearsighted, farsighted, or has more astigmatism (refractive error) than the other, or if the child has a squint. The brain then primarily processes the information coming from the better eye, ignoring the other. If unnoticed or untreated, it can continue to affect in later years. It is estimated that about 4% of children and between 1-5% of the adult population is affected by this visual impairment.
Vision develops in the first few years of life as the brain starts interpreting visual signals coming from the eyes. What we ‘see’ results from signals sent from the eyes to the brain. Usually, the brain receives signals from both (bi) eyes (ocular) simultaneously. However, due to the placement of the eyes, the visual information collected by each eye differs slightly. If all is well, the brain can use these differences, coordinate eye movements and judge distances so that a wholesome meaningful 3D visual is created, and that is what we ‘see.’
The eyes, visual pathways, and brain centres are constantly developing and maturing in the first few years of life. Occasionally, when one of the eyes does not function correctly, the brain tends to rely on the visual impulses coming from the stronger eye. If left untreated, the stronger eye continues to develop further, and the vision from the weaker eye can worsen. This visual imbalance is known as Amblyopia.
Refractive error in an eye simply means that the eye cannot focus correctly. Three types of refractive errors are near-sightedness, far-sightedness, or astigmatism. When uncorrected, refractive errors can strain the eye muscles, which have to work harder to achieve a focussed vision.
In some cases, both eyes have different magnitudes of refractive errors medically known as ‘Anisometropia.’ One of the eyes may have a significantly poorer vision than the other. When this happens, the brain tends to rely more on sharp visual impulses from the normal eye and ignore the visual impulses from the weaker eye.
Our eyes have a set of muscles that help with eye movements. A weakness in any eye muscle will lead to abnormalities in the movement, such as turning inwards or outwards or having uncoordinated movements. This condition is called “Squint” or “ Strabismus”. The brain tends to ignore the hazy visual images coming from the affected eye which is non-aligned. This eye then becomes a “Lazy eye.
Cataract means a cloudy lens. The cloudy lens prevents the rays of light from reaching the retina and is responsible for poor vision. A child may be born with a Cataract ( Congenital Cataract) or may develop in infancy ( developmental cataract). The only treatment for cataracts is early surgical removal. A long-standing cataract interferes with the development of visual function in the brain leading to Amblyopia or Lazy eye.
Amblyopia starts in childhood and may continue to persist in adulthood as well.
When a child develops a lazy eye, parents may observe that their child faces difficulty in focusing on objects, or they squint or shut one of the eyes to view the objects or surroundings clearly. Often, the child’s eyes may appear to turn inward, outward, and they may not work together in coordination.
Older children may also complain of poor perception of depth and an inability to view things clearly from a distance, such as writing on the classroom board. It affects their performance in school, sports and social behaviour.
When children develop such symptoms, It is important to consult a paediatric ophthalmologist as soon as possible to enable early treatment. Read more about Lazy Eye Treatment in Kids.
If a child with lazy eyes does not receive early treatment, the condition may worsen and persist in adulthood.
The common complaints of adults having lazy eyes are:
| Childhood Amblyopia | Adult Amblyopia |
|---|---|
|
● The child may be seen squinting or shutting one eye. ● Parents may be able to see uncoordinated eye movements in their child. ● The child may complain of inability to view the classroom board clearly. |
● Blurred or double vision ● Poor depth perception ● Increased complaints of eye strain. |
If left untreated, a lazy eye may worsen and lead to permanent visual impairment. Therefore, the goal of treatment is to improve vision in the lazy eye as early as possible and thereby optimize binocular vision.
The traditional treatment approaches to treat the lazy eye include:
Glasses for correcting refractive errors
Eye-Glasses
Patching is the most commonly advised treatment for lazy eyes in children. In this, a small eye patch is applied to the normal eye in an attempt to obscure its vision for a few hours daily. This way, the brain is trained to recognize the visual impulses coming from the weaker eye.
Eye drops are instilled into the normal eye and cause a temporary blurring of vision in the normal eye. This prompts the brain to turn towards visual impulses coming from the weaker or lazy eye. The effect is similar to patching.
However, the success of these approaches depends on how regularly the child is in applying the patches/eye drops. Most children do not like this kind of patching and tend to resist it. Very often, parents do not apply the patch to avoid social stigma. Compliance with patching is very low
Patching or penalization can also lead to visual problems in the normal eye. Patching has limitations of age and does not help in correcting the adult lazy eye.
Surgery is recommended if there is a presence of a Cataract or Squint ( Strabismus)
While it is true that for treating the Lazy eye, time is of the essence, and most treatments are directed towards children, there are newer treatment technologies available that can be used to improve eyesight in adults and the elderly population as well.
Treatment for eyes using dichoptic technology is an emerging and highly effective approach for correcting Lazy eyes and improving vision. Dichoptic eye treatments work by offering simultaneous and separate visual stimuli to both eyes. In simpler terms, depending on the impairment, both eyes are presented with different stimuli simultaneously, which helps enhance the contrast difference perceived by both eyes. This can help achieve a balance between the normal eye and the lazy eye.
A new age, revolutionary technology has been developed to overcome Amblyopia or lazy eye in both children and adults.
Bynocs Ambly-Go is a simple and engaging eye treatment program that can be performed with minimal equipment. The initial evaluation can be done at any eye clinic enrolled with Bynocs. The treatment sessions can be undertaken either at the eye clinic or in the comfort of one’s home.
The only equipment needed to train on the patented Bynocs Ambly-Go is a computer with a stable internet connection and specialized Anaglyph glasses provided by Bynocs. After that, the treatment sessions are carried out under optometrist guidance, available on a video call.
Lazy eye or the amblyopic eye is treatable and reversible. Newer treatment technologies like dichoptic eye treatment offer excellent vision improvements even in adults.
Contact your eye-care practitioner and regain control of your eyesight.
Treat your Lazy Eye condition with the latest innovative Amblyopia therapy software out there.
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