689 Tank Farm Road, Suite 100
San Luis Obispo, California 93401
805.781.3937 / fax 805.781.9013
www.sloeyemd.com
234 Heather Court, Suite 102
Templeton, California 93465
805.434.5970 / fax 805.434.5973
www.sloeyemd.com
Amblyopia
A
mblyopia is a medical condition wherein the vision in one
eye is reduced as a result of under-development of the visual
centers in the brain that normally process the visual signals
from the eye. Amblyopia is both an eye problem and a neurological
problem.
What causes amblyopia?
Amblyopia can occur any time that the regular transmission of clear
visual signals from the eye are interrupted or impaired. Amblyopia
can be caused by strabismus (a drifting eye). When a child’s eye is
not straight the child does not see double. Rather, the incompletely
developed brain simply shuts off the image from the drifting eye.
As a result, the visual signs from that eye are not processed and the
visual centers of the brain are not stimulated. Without this constant
stimulation the visual centers lag behind in development.
Amblyopia can also develop when there is a large difference in refractive error between the two eyes. In this case, the weaker eye (the one
needing the strongest glasses prescription) constantly sends a blurry
image to the brain. The immature brain prefers the clearer image
from the stronger eye so the part of the brain that processes the visual
information from the weaker eye gets behind in development.
Can amblyopia be treated?
Yes, amblyopia can usually be treated successfully. The younger the
child at the time of diagnosis and treatment the more successful the
treatment. However, the degree of success depends on many factors
including the cause of amblyopia, the severity of the amblyopia, the
age of the child when the amblyopia first occurs, and how well the
parent and child carry out the recommended treatment.
Treating amblyopia successfully requires that the visual centers of
the brain be developing and growing. The visual centers undergo
very rapid growth in the first few months of life. Further growth con-
tinues after this time but gradually slows, eventually stopping when
the child is older. Current research indicates that the visual centers
of the brain stop growing somewhere between the ages of nine and
twelve years old. After this point, amblyopia treatment is not possible
and any amblyopia vision loss is permanent. It cannot be corrected
with glasses, patching, surgery, exercises or medication. Most forms
of amblyopia are best treated prior to age four or five years, or even
younger. With amblyopia, younger is always better!
How is amblyopia treated?
To treat amblyopia, the weaker eye must be stimulated to work harder. This in turn stimulates the visual centers of the brain associated
with that eye to develop faster, eventually catching up with the rest of
the brain. Forcing the weaker eye to work harder is usually done by
patching the stronger eye. The amount of patching needed to force
proper development of the visual centers depends on the severity of
the amblyopia and the age of the child. In mild cases of amblyopia,
eye drops or fogging filters over a spectacle lens can be used to blur
the vision in the stronger eye instead of using a patch.
Your doctor can recommend and supervise treatment of amblyopia
but only a parent and child working together can achieve success.
The cost of failure is poor vision for the rest of one’s life. Treating
amblyopia is hard work and success depends on total commitment.
This is one of the battles that you as a parent cannot afford to lose.
The reward for successful treatment, however, is priceless!
Thousands of parents and children successfully complete amblyopia
treatment every year. If they can do it, you and your child can do it
too. Think positive and don’t get discouraged. Talk with other parents or relatives who may have had similar experiences. And don’t
hesitate to ask us for advice, encouragement or moral support. We
are here to help!
Copyright © 2004 Rena A. Stathacopoulos, MD
082311