Amblyopia, lazy or lazy eye, is the decrease in visual acuity in one eye, and it is the most common cause of vision problems in children. The eye that suffers it sends an abnormal or blurred image to the brain and it learns to discard it, so that little by little the weakest eye decreases its correct vision.
If this problem lengthens over time, it is very difficult to correct it, so it is very important to identify amblyopia or lazy eye in time. Where is the limit? We can point out that, the sooner it is detected, the better. That is, if one is identified at one year of age, better than at two years and if it is at three, better than at four, when it is too late for an amblyopia problem.
And the risk of suffering from this disorder is related to age: the smaller the child, the brain cells "absorb" or learn more, so if the brain has detected that "weak" eye since then, in a short time of inactivity will become a lazy eye. However, although this is the critical period, up to three years of age it is possible for you to develop an amblyopia. How will we know that the child has a lazy eye?
How to know if the child has a lazy eye
We have already seen that it is essential to detect amblyopia as soon as possible and this is because the lazy eye can be better re-educated the less time it takes to inactivity, the less time the brain is accustomed to a non-binocular vision, not balanced between the two eyes.
Fortunately, it is not usual for a child to reach five years of age without the problem being detected, as it is usually identified during visits to the pediatrician. For this reason (and for many other issues), it is important not to skip the usual check-ups and go to the pediatrician or ophthalmologist if there is suspicion that there is a vision problem.
It is also advisable to make a routine visit to the eye doctor-pediatrician around the year of age, to verify that everything is fine, a control visit that can be repeated at two or three years. And it is that the symptoms of amblyopia can sometimes go unnoticed by parents, or not manifest clearly at the beginning ... These lazy eye symptoms They are:
- Eyes that turn inward or outward.
- Eyes that don't seem to coordinate.
- Inability to judge depth correctly.
- Poor vision in one eye.
Amblyopia often occurs along with strabismus ("crossed eyes"). Childhood cataracts, farsightedness, myopia or astigmatism are other causes of amblyopia.
With a simple test the specialist will detect if the child has amblyopia (accompanied or not with other disorders) and if it is confirmed a process of reeducation of the lazy eye will begin. This is achieved by forcing "work" to the eye, to realize its full potential, how? Covering the eye that works well with a patch. Sometimes ophthalmic drops are used to blur the vision of the normal eye instead of putting on a patch.
This simple treatment will reactivate atrophied brain functions over a period of time that varies greatly, from months to years, depending on the severity of the disorder. This reason confirms the importance of detecting the lazy eye in time, since the longer it remains unattended, the greater the visual impairment and the longer recovery time.
If the child has a refractive error (farsightedness, myopia or astigmatism), he will also need glasses.
In short, before the age of five it is essential to detect this vision problem so common in childhood. After five or six years, it is much more complicated to recover the vision of the lazy eye.
