Some visual impairments can occur not only in adulthood or advanced age. Children also already suffer from vision problems that affect both eyes or, as in amblyopia, only one eye.
What is amblyopia?
In amblyopia, sharp, contour and contrast vision is extremely limited, resulting in an impairment of the visual perception ability of the affected person. The term amblyopia has an important meaning in ophthalmology and refers to a visual impairment that primarily affects only a single eye. Amblyopia is also categorized as amblyopia due to the visual impairment that occurs, which is usually very intense. In amblyopia, sharp, contour and contrast vision is extremely limited, resulting in an impairment of the visual perception ability of the affected person. Amblyopia typically occurs in children who are under the age of ten. Usually, amblyopia is not even immediately recognized and can be compensated for by the better-seeing eye.
Causes
The causes, which can lead to amblyopia even in childhood, are not organic. That is, the anatomical components of the eyes are completely healthy and fully developed. The causes of blurred vision in amblyopia are lens or corneal opacities, which occur in cataract, cataract or astigmatism. If there is extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness, this can also promote amblyopia. If one eye is squinting, this is also a cause of amblyopia. If ptosis, a drooping eyelid, causes the eyeball to overlap, this abnormality can cause amblyopia. The actual factor which contributes to amblyopia based on the various causes is a blurred image on the visual pit, which is located in the middle of the yellow spot.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
Due to amblyopia, those affected generally suffer from severe visual impairments. These occur mainly very unexpectedly and without any particular reason. Especially in children, amblyopia can lead to severe limitations and delays in development. Many of those affected suffer from depression or other psychological upsets as a result of the sudden visual complaints. Amblyopia leads to either nearsightedness or farsightedness. Visual acuity generally decreases, and contours and contrasts can no longer be perceived correctly. Those affected also have difficulty writing or reading. Spatial vision is also negatively affected by amblyopia, so that coordination or orientation disorders may also occur. The patient’s quality of life is thus significantly limited and reduced by amblyopia. In most cases, these visual complaints cannot be treated directly and thus cannot be reversed. The affected persons are thus always dependent on a visual aid in their lives. If no visual aid is worn, the symptoms worsen in most cases, so that the vision of the affected person continues to decrease. Eventually, the reduced vision causes limitations in the affected person’s daily life despite visual aids.
Diagnosis and progression
If children show limitations in vision, covering one of the two eyes can provide information about whether amblyopia exists and in which eye. A very definitive diagnosis of amblyopia can be made by an eye test performed by an ophthalmologist regarding the existing visual acuity of the eyes. The children read different letters or signs with alternately covered eyes. In the context of a diagnosis of amblyopia, further ophthalmologic examinations are performed, which aim to exclude tumors or a retinoblastoma. Malignant retinoblastoma or optic nerve tumors may develop before the child is 3 years old and result in amblyopia.
Complications
Amblyopia results in visual disturbances. These usually occur in only one eye and can cause severe problems, especially in children. Amblyopia also puts a strain on the psyche, so stress and depression can result. The visual disturbances can manifest themselves as either farsightedness or nearsightedness.In most cases, patients do not see objects sharply and cannot perceive outlines correctly. This leads to problems with orientation, writing and reading. Spatial perception and seeing in space are also limited and not readily possible. Usually, amblyopia can be treated either by using a visual aid or by surgery. It leads to success in most people. As a complication, the so-called strabismus can occur. This leads to bullying and teasing, especially in children. If the therapy does not take place in time, the symptom can lead to consequential damage in adulthood, which can no longer be corrected properly. For this reason, parents should visit the ophthalmologist with their children at an early age.
When should you go to the doctor?
Since amblyopia usually causes various visual complaints and visual impairments, they should definitely be treated by a doctor. This can prevent complications and discomfort in adulthood. As a rule, a doctor must be consulted when amblyopia causes visual complaints and visual impairments in the child. An eye test should be performed. This test is a very good way to see if the child’s vision has changed. In most cases, nearsightedness or farsightedness occurs, which can be treated with the help of glasses or contact lenses. In adulthood, the affected person can also have laser correction performed if desired. It is important that amblyopia is treated at an early stage so that the visual complaints do not worsen. It is not uncommon for this disease to also lead to orientation problems or weaknesses in reading and writing. If these symptoms occur, parents must definitely consult a doctor with their child.
Treatment and therapy
Treatment of amblyopia is usually sought before the child reaches puberty. The type and duration of treatment for amblyopia depends on the age of the affected patient and the causal relationships to other diseases or familial dispositions. First of all, to improve vision in amblyopia, a corrective measure is considered, which includes either a surgical intervention or the use of appropriate glasses or contact lenses. This correction of amblyopia refers to the compensation of the so-called refractive error. In case of amblyopia, which is caused by strabismus, different procedures such as occlusion or patch treatment, penalization or a therapy known as pleoptic exercise must be used. Occlusion or patch treatment of amblyopia involves covering the non-weakened eye with an opaque patch so that the weakened eye is forced to receive visual stimuli alone. This approach can put more strain on the eye to combat amblyopia and thus strengthen it for higher visual acuity.
Outlook and prognosis
Usually, amblyopia causes visual disturbances that occur in only one eye. In this case, the children suffer from farsightedness or nearsightedness at a very early age, which significantly restricts the everyday life of those affected. Often, in addition to the visual complaints, there are also faulty perceptions of contrast and contours. Furthermore, amblyopia can lead to difficulties in reading or writing, so that in some cases the disease also limits the development of the child. The life expectancy is not changed by amblyopia. In some cases, the disease can also cause orientation problems. If a tumor is responsible for the amblyopia, it must be removed. Furthermore, visual aids can also be used to solve the patient’s discomfort in everyday life. Children can also wear contact lenses for this purpose. Furthermore, in adulthood, correction can also be performed so that the visual complaints disappear completely. If amblyopia is caused by strabismus, it can also be treated by a doctor. The therapy usually leads to success in this case.
Prevention
A causal prevention against amblyopia in the actual sense is not possible. Only when it is obvious that visual impairment is present can timely therapy prevent amblyopia.Early detection and therapy of amblyopia are therefore the best preventive measures. If injuries to the eyes occur in young children, they should not be given an eye bandage covering one side so that amblyopia cannot develop. If the eyes show a tendency to squint, treatment should be sought from an ophthalmologist as soon as possible to rule out amblyopia. Another key way to prevent amblyopia is early detection of eye defects in children.
Follow-up
In general, no direct follow-up is possible or necessary for amblyopia. It is imperative that the condition be treated by a physician, as this does not result in self-healing. If no treatment is initiated, the symptoms usually worsen and, in the worst case, complete blindness may result. Those affected must take care to wear their visual aids regularly so that the eyes are not unnecessarily strained. In the case of amblyopia, parents in particular must ensure that children wear their glasses or contact lenses in order to avoid complications in adulthood. Patches can also be used to alleviate the discomfort of the condition. If the cause of amblyopia is due to a tumor, it must be removed by surgery. After such an operation, the affected person must rest and take care of his body. Even after the removal, regular examinations are useful in order to find further tumors at an early stage. As a rule, the therapy of amblyopia always leads to success and can completely alleviate the symptoms. The patient’s life expectancy is not reduced by the disease.
What you can do yourself
If amblyopia is detected early, vision can be improved again through targeted training. Poor eyesight can be strengthened, for example, by following the “drawing” index finger with the eyes. Also “gazing” with closed eyelids trains the eye muscles without overloading them. More generally, eyes should be treated with care. A daily eye wash will keep the lids moist and at least help preserve vision. In the long run, amblyopia can be treated with appropriate visual aids. Affected people should have their vision checked regularly and adjusted if necessary to ensure optimal vision. Careful use of one’s own eyesight also includes protecting the eyes. When working at a computer screen, for example, the eyes must be regularly averted and relaxed for a few minutes. People with pronounced amblyopia in particular should give their eyes regular breaks. If the functional visual impairment is accompanied by strabismus, psychological counseling may also be useful. Those affected should also seek treatment at an early stage. Appropriate measures can usually restore the original position of the pupils.
