If you or your child have recently been diagnosed with lazy eye or Amblyopia, you may be searching for more information on this condition. It can be troubling to have a disease which you don't understand, and finding out more about the causes and your treatment options is an excellent approach. This will give you a better idea of your options moving forward, and also how it will impact your child's life.
Lazy eye typically presents itself in childhood if at all and if not treated can have long term and lasting effects on your child's vision if it's not treated properly. There are many causes, and these will be specific to your situation. That being said, the most common reasons for this condition to arise, include strabismus, tumors or other problems. In rare instances, a tumor may be the root issue, which is causing the eye to move erratically. However, strabismus is the most usual reason for lazy eye to occur, and this causes the muscles surrounding the eye to be out of balance. Depending upon where the weakness is located, the eye will either turn in or out instead. In addition, strabismus makes it difficult or even impossible for the eye in question to move in concert with its partner. Obviously, this causes major vision problems, and it must be corrected.
A final underlying factor which can give rise to lazy eye, is the structure of the eye itself. On occasion, the retina can be malformed, or a cataract can even be present. Sometimes, the eye has an unusual shape, or the size is smaller or larger than the other eyeball. Once again, this situation makes it an arduous task to move the eye synchronistically so that measures must be taken to resolve the issue.
While seeing your child suffering from a problem like lazy eye can be disconcerting and troubling, it is quite treatable. The earlier you begin treatment on this condition the better although there are some indications that you can wait up until age 17 to correct the issue successfully. That being said, in early childhood the brain and eye are forging connections, so this an optimal time for treatment. The first option which you can select, is corrective eye wear. This can help with other eyesight issues as well, if these are also present. Oftentimes, an eye patch is placed over the stronger of the two eyes instead. This forces the weaker eye to become more proficient, and your child may wear this for several hours every day to see the full benefit. If you're met with resistance then eye drops can be used as an alternative to blur the vision in the more dominant eye. Again, this forces the weaker eye to take over, which will develop its abilities. Finally, if the eye muscles are severely hampered in any way, then surgery is an option as well. This can correct the eye's impulse to move in too far or out too far and can also repair droopy eyelids and cataracts as well.
The good news is, with the right form of treatment, lazy eye can be corrected quickly in many cases. The good news is that you should begin to see and improvement in as little as 3-12 weeks time. Simply work with your child's eye doctor to form a comprehensive treatment plan, and be sure to maintain strict adherence to it whenever possible. This will allow for the best outcome, to restore your child's sight to normal working order once again!
Early detection and treatment is always the best idea if you suspect that there is a problem with yours or your child's vision or overall health. Check out this Toronto optometrist for more information, to book a full vision assessment and discuss a treatment plan with a professional.
No comments:
Post a Comment