Amblyopia is decreased vision in one or both eyes due to abnormal development of vision in infancy or childhood.It is commonly known as lazy eye, in which a child's vision does not develop properly, usually in one eye. If it is left untreated, a child's vision will never develop correctly in the affected eye.

What are the types of Amblyopia are there?
There are several different types and causes of Amblyopia, such as Strabismic Amblyopia, Deprivation Amblyopia and Refractive Amblyopia.
The end result of all forms of Amblyopia is reduced vision in the affected eye(eyes).

How does Lazy Eye occurs?
Lazy eye occurs when your brain favors one eye, often due to poor vision in your other eye. Eventually, your brain might ignore signals from your weak or lazy eye. The condition can result in vision impairment and loss of depth perception.

What are the Symptoms of Lazy Eye?
Lazy eye may be hard to detect until it becomes severe. Early warning signs include:
1. Tendency to bump into objects on one side
2. An eye that wanders inward or outward
3. Eyes that appear not to work together
4. Poor depth perception
5. Double vision
6. Squinting

What Causes Lazy Eye?
A number of conditions and factors can lead you to rely on one eye more than the other. These include:
1. Constant strabismus or turning of one eye
2. Genetics or a family history of lazy eye
3. Different levels of vision in each of your eyes
4. Damage to one of your eyes from trauma
5. Drooping eyelids
6. Vitamin A deficiency
7. Corneal ulcer or scar
8. Eye surgery
9. Vision impairment, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism
10. Glaucoma, which is high pressure in your eye that can lead to vision problems and blindness

How is Amblyopia diagnosed?
When it first occurs, parents and children often don't notice the condition. It's important to get routine eye exams as an infant and child, even if you show no outward symptoms of eye problems.
Family history of amblyopia is a risk factor for the condition.

How Is Lazy Eye Treated?
Glasses/Contact Lenses
Eye Patch
Eye Drops
Surgery
Other treatments include:
Atropine penalization therapy (also used for maintenance)
Optical blurring through contact lenses or elevated bifocal segments

What Is Amblyopia? Are You or Your Child Suffering From It?

Ever noticed spots or strands that  float  into your line of vision. These are known as floaters. In most cases, they do not affect your vision, but can cause a lot of discomfort. Thus, in most cases they do not require treatment unless they affect your vision significantly. Floaters are more likely to stand out when looking at bright objects or something like a clear blue sky. Moving your eyes can shift the fluid in your eyes and move these floaters out of your line of sight.

Dust particles entering and irritating the eye should not be confused with floaters. Floaters can be described as flecks of a protein called collagen. These flecks can be seen when they are loosened from the back of the eye known as the vitreous. This can happen at any age but is more likely to affect people between the ages of 50 and 75. Being near sighted or suffering from cataract also increases your risk of seeing floaters. In rare cases, it can also be triggered by a disease in the eye, an injury to the eye, tumors or crystal deposits in the back of the eye.

Noticing the odd floater is not something to worry about. However, if you notice a sudden increase in the number and frequency of floaters in your eye, see flashes of light, have pain in the eyes or experience a loss of side vision, consult a doctor immediately. This could also be a sign of a more serious condition like a detached retina that requires immediate medical attention. Excessive floaters can be removed through a surgery known as a vitrectomy or laser vitreolysis. A vitrectomy involves the removal of vitreous gel from the middle of the eye and replacing it with silicone oil or a gas bubble. The surgery last 2 or 3 hours, but you may require an overnight stay in the hospital.

Laser vitreolysis is a more recent form of treatment for this condition. This pain free procedure involves the projection of a laser beam into the eye that focuses on large floaters to break them apart or vaporize them. This procedure can be performed as an outpatient and is considered safer than a vitrectomy. The form of treatment suited to a person will depend on a number of factors including their age, what the floaters look like, where they are located and the frequency of their appearance.

Eye Floaters - When Should You Consult A Doctor?

7 Easy ways to get relief from computer eye strain

Do you spend long hours in front of the computer? If you do, you may be experiencing eye strain on a regular basis. Eye strain is a common problem and is characterised by fatigue, decreased productivity, red eyes and eye twitching. You can get rid of eye strain by making use of any one of these simple tips. 

1. Ensure that your workplace has correct lighting
Often eye strain occurs as a result of improper lighting. This can be caused by exposure to bright sunlight coming in from the windows and doors or excessively dazzling indoor lights. You can avoid extra lights by keeping blinds or shades closed and by avoiding high-intensity bulbs or fluorescent lights. Alternatively, opting for incandescent or halogen lighting can be beneficial.

2. Minimise glare
You can install an anti-glare screen on the monitor of your computer to minimise glare. Keep the windows covered to reduce glare caused by outdoor sources.

3. Modify the display settings of your computer
You can modify the display settings of your computer in the following manner to reduce eye strain:
• Brightness-Set the brightness of the display to a level, which equals the brightness of your workplace.
• Text size and contrast-Modify the text size and contrast according to the comfort level of your eyes. For most people, black text colour on a white background ensures minimum eye strain and maximum convenience.
• Colour temperature- The spectrum of visible light, which a colour display usually emits is its colour temperature. Blue light is considered to cause more eye strain. So, you should decrease the colour temperature to minimize the amount of blue light emitted by your computer’s display.

4. Try some eye exercises
You can practise some easy eye exercises to prevent your eyes from getting tired. Try staring at a distant object for 10-15 seconds and then looking at any nearby object for another 10-15 seconds. Return your gaze to the first object. Repeat 10 times.

5. Opt for some computer eyewear while working
Try wearing a pair of computer glasses while working. They ensure that your eyes remain correctly focussed on the computer screen, while reducing strain to a minimum. Computer glasses also prove to be very effective in diminishing glare. 

6. Take short breaks at regular intervals
Apply the 20-20 rule to your work regime. After each 20 minutes of work on the computer, give your eyes a 20 second break by looking away from the screen towards any object located 20 feet away from you.

7. Go for a comprehensive eye exam
Make sure that you go for a comprehensive eye exam every year to reduce vision problems caused by computers. This will also help in detecting the root cause behind your problem, so that you can effectively employ curative or preventive measures to control eye strain.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

7 Easy Ways to Get Relief from EveryDay Computer Eye Strain

Amblyopia or Lazy eye is the eye condition in which vision is reduced and cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. All the images seen by the amblyopic eye are not fully acknowledged by the brain. It always affects only one eye, but may be accompanied with reduction of vision in both eyes. It can cause loss of vision, including loss of depth perception and two-eyed 3D vision. It's treatment can yield improvements at any age, but early detection can offer the best chances for a cure. Recent research has proven that lazy eye treatment can be successful in older children and adults. Comprehensive vision examinations are required for infants, toddlers, and pre-school children for the detection of lazy eye or amblyopia.

When the brain parts related with visual processing do not function properly, problems arise with such visual functions as the perception of movement, depth perception and fine detail (acuity, clear eyesight and sharp vision). Amblyopia is the most prevalent neurological defect of vision in children and adults resulting from developmental problems in the brain. Any interference with clear vision in either eye during the first six years or 'critical' period of visual and brain development can cause a lazy eye.

Constant strabismus or the constant turn of one eye in any direction, be it inward turn or crossed eye is one of common causes of amblyopia. The differences in vision or it's prescription between the two eyes leads to refractive amblyopia. Sometimes congenital disorders or a physical blockage of an eye due to trauma, drooping lids, cataract or a blocked tear duct can also lead to amblyopia. Many parents and children are not aware of any symptoms, as amblyopia usually occurs in one eye only and a lazy eye condition can exist without a noticeable eye turn. The visual acuity tests in addition to the 20/20 eye test charts and eye examination with cycloplegic drops by ophthalmologists are necessary to detect lazy eye.

Vision therapy for the eyes and brain is a highly effective non-surgical treatment for lazy eye. It is a progressive program of vision exercises customized to fit the visual needs of each patient. It is conducted at the clinic and occasionally supplemented with exercises to be done at home or workplace. It improve visual comfort, ease, and efficiency and change how a patient processes or interprets visual information. When considering treatment options, it is important to understand that lazy eye results from neurological deficit or problems in the brain and surgery for lazy eye is performed on the muscles on the outside of the eye. Most of the cases, lazy eye surgery provides cosmetic benefits and does not improve the patient's vision, hence options for vision improvement should be exhausted before eye muscle surgery is considered.

Lazy Eye or Amblyopia - Symptoms and Cure

Eyeglasses and contact lenses are both used for vision correction. Both of the options have their advantages and disadvantages but a number of factors like lifestyle, comfort and age etc. are important while deciding which one to choose. Here is a list of the fundamental differences between using spectacles and using contact lenses:

1. Distance from the cornea
Lenses are worn directly on the eye and are in constant physical contact with the cornea while glasses are worn over the eyes. Contact lenses may cause infections in the eye because the user has to touch the eye in order to wear them and to take them off.

2. Difference in vision
Since the lenses of spectacles are a little distance away from the eye, vision can be slightly distorted but contact lenses can provide natural and accurate vision. Also, side vision is not improved by glasses as you have to turn your head to see what is beside you. The contacts move around with your eyeballs and the peripheral vision is in focus.

3. Ease of use
Some people find eyeglasses difficult to use because of the constant weight on the face and the obstruction caused by the frames of the glasses. There may also be a constant need to adjust the frames. Often eyeglasses slip down the nose when you sweat or engage in rigorous physical activity. Contact lenses are free from all these hassles - they are not distracting or obstructive and so they are extensively used by dancers and athletes. Spectacles is very uncomfortable to wear during the rains or in humid weather because they fog up.

4. Infections and complications
Contact lenses can get displaced inside the eye and they can be difficult to reposition. They also cause the eyes to itch and water if you wear them for a very long time at a stretch or if tiny dust particles enter your eyes. The use of eyeglasses is far more flexible in this respect - they can be removed in case your eye itches or burns, but regular use of glasses causes dark circles and bags under the eyes.

5. Aesthetic differences
People often prefer contact lenses as they do not change the physical appearance - they help you look natural and you can also use colored lenses to change the color of your eyes. Glasses may look slightly unnatural but some people also prefer them for the fashion quotient.

Lens Vs Specs

78% of urban youth are in front of the computer screen/ mobile screen for about 12 hours a day. Such extensive strain to the eyes can have long term effects on vision.  Act now to protect your eyes by following these tips-

1) Ensure appropriate glasses or contact lens prescription which is also adequate for computer use. 
2) For prolonged exposure, use glasses to help with contrast, glare, and eye strain when using a computer.
3) Adjust your computer such that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. This allows you to look slightly down at the screen.
4) Avoid any glare on your computer from windows or lights. Use an anti-glare screen if required.
5) Choose a comfortable, supportive chair. Position it so that your feet are flat on the floor.
6) If your eyes feel dry, blink more often.
7) Every 20 minutes, rest your eyes by looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds. At least every 2 hours, get up and take a 15-minute break.

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Protect Your Eyes While Working. 7 best ways.

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