Amblyopia
when normal person see normal binocular vision, both eyes are see at the same target. The visual part of the brain fuses the two pictures into a single image.
When one eye is cross, as in squint, or in uncorrected unilateral refractive error (Ametropia), two different image are sent to the brain.
In child, the brain learns to ignore the image of the misaligned eye and sees only the image from the straight or better seeing eye.
This causes loss of depth perception and binocular vision. The misaligned eye becomes lazy or it is said to develop amblyopia.
Any condition which causes a significant difference in the visual power of the two eyes can result in amblyopia of the weaker eye.
The controlling visual area of the right eye is present in the left side of the brain and vice versa. When normal vision is present in both eyes, the brain centers on both sides are equally stimulated and hence equally developed.
When the image of one eye is unclear, the brain starts suppressing that eye’s image and gradually it leads to permanent uniocular loss of vision.
When vision is impaired in both eyes, the child may get amblyopia, that is, decreased vision in both the eyes, if spectacles are not prescribed.
Amblyopia is a significant problem and cab be averted by screening all children for refractive errors. This is possible by recruiting the efforts of public institutions like schools to screen their students systematically and periodically.
Management
Amblyopia can be treated by patching of the better eye to improve the vision in the weaker eye.
If amblyopiais detected in the first few years of life, treatment is often successful.
As a rule, the earlier the amblyopia is treated, the better the visual result, because the child will be able to develop binocular vision and depth perception.
for more detailed
Slit lamp examination