Amblyopia, commonly called lazy eye, is an eye disorder that is caused when one eye has worse vision than the other, either transiently (which may improve) or permanently. Lazy eye has different degrees depending on the visual acuity of the affected eye, which is assessed on a scale of 0 to 10 or as a percentage.
Causes of lazy eye
Amblyopia affects both children and adults, although the origins are totally different. In the case of children, the main causes are:
– Strabismus: deviation of the line of sight of one of the eyes.
– Anisometropia: large difference between the diopters of one eye and the other.
– Congenital diseases: retinal or corneal diseases, congenital cataracts or, less common, palpebral ptosis (drooping eyelid that covers the pupil).
– Brain diseases, tumors and congenital lesions of the optic pathway between the eyes and the brain.
In the case of adults, the most frequent causes are:
– Direct trauma with loss of ocular media transparency.
– Retinal diseases or degenerations
– Cerebrovascular accidents
– Tumors or neurological diseases (less common)
Symptoms of lazy eye
The main symptom of amblyopia is the loss of visual acuity of the affected eye, which adults notice perfectly and quickly, while children have more difficulty in perceiving the problem, since the vision of both eyes together can be good.
Treatment of lazy eye
If the cause of lazy eye is strabismus, anisometropia, among others, it is recommended to see a specialist in Ophthalmology to undergo treatment, which can be medical or surgical.
Even so, the best remedy is prevention through early studies of children or with the appropriate treatment for each adult with the aim of avoiding the causes, by controlling cardiovascular risk factors and preventing occupational hazards and accidents in general.
On the other hand, the evolution of amblyopia depends on two factors:
– Early and accurate diagnosis.
– Timely treatment for each case