Dr. Tushar D Muni

What is amblyopia or lazy eye? Amblyopia is decreased vision in one or both eyes due to abnormal development of vision in infancy or childhood. In amblyopia, there may not be an obvious problem of the eye. Vision loss occurs because nerve pathways between the brain and the eye aren't properly stimulated. The brain, learns to see only blurry images with the amblyopic eye even when glasses are used. As a result, the brain favors one eye, usually due to poor vision in the other eye. Another word for amblyopia is 'lazy eye'. It is the leading cause of vision loss amongst children.

The major causes of Amblyopia are as follows:

1. Eye Misalignment: The most basic reason for amblyopia is misalignment of the eyes. In case, both your eyes are not aimed in the same proportion or direction, the image from the affected eye is turned off by the brain. Only the better eye functions. Double vision is restricted.  The persistence of this defect for a prolonged time, makes the eye lose connection with the brain's visual cortex. Amblyopia develops.
2. Imbalanced error of refraction: If the refractive number of both the eyes is not the same, both eyes can't be in the center at the same time. Amblyopia happens when one eye stays out of the center since it is more myopic, farsighted, or astigmatic than the other. One eye becomes dominant. This results in the neglect of the unfocused eye, which neglects to associate with the mind. Treatment with glasses or contact lenses to adjust the refractive blunder of the eye is required.
3. Cloudiness in the visual system: Any kind of obstruction or cloudiness in the normal functioning of the eye tissues can be another reason, which leads to amblyopia. Disorder of any kind which blocks a clear image from being focused is capable of blocking the formation of a clear image on your retina. This may lead to amblyopia. This is perhaps the most severe type of this disease.

How to cure amblyopia?
For treating amblyopia, a child must be compelled to utilize his affected, weaker eye. This can be done by correction of any disorder of the affected eye such as refractive error, problems in the retina, etc. The goal is to correct the amblyopic eye. The normal eye is usually covered up by a patch, so that only the affected eye can be used for vision. The patching up may continue for weeks, months or years until the best vision gets restored. The improving eye should be maintained well. Spectacles are also prescribed for correction of errors regarding refraction. Eye drops such as atropine are also used for blurring the vision of the good eye. Amblyopia makes you visually impaired. The earliest symptoms must be perceived and acted upon. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ophthalmologist.

As we age we get wiser for our experiences and knowledge, but it is also an accepted fact that our body and organ system get much weaker and there may be little that we can do about it. As we hit the middle ages, we start to experience problems such as wrinkles or greying of hair and general fatigue and tiredness after a short amount of activity. However, the real trouble starts when major system dysfunctions, such as the eyes and the vision.

Simple things like reading a book or a newspaper may become major tasks and it may be time to realise that we may be suffering from presbyopia. Presbyopia is commonly known as farsightedness and this is a problem in which patients find it difficult to see objects clearly when they are too close to the eyes.

How it affects the eyes:
It is a common knowledge that the vision system works with the help of natural lenses and its focal point. When the focal point of vision falls on the lenses, you may be able to experience perfect vision, but when it starts to move slightly off the point you may experience problems in viewing regular things such as printed or written words or even the things on your phone or computer.

Experiencing blurred vision when you try to view closer objects occurs because the elasticity of the lens of the eyes changes and the focal length of the lens changes with it. However, there are a lot of treatment alternatives for the problem and people do not have to start feeling old just because they experience difficulty in vision.

Treatments:
The more conventional treatments for presbyopia include the use of glasses with a power of lens that help in correcting the vision and reading may become a favoured activity again. For those who find the use of glasses to be a hindrance in regular life may also opt for contact lens, which may be a more comfortable alternative for those who may not want to make their problem obvious to the world. In a lot of cases, the people who suffer from the problem of far-sightedness may also choose to undergo surgery for the problem so that it can be corrected completely and no other measures may have to be taken.

Health issues may be a regular occurrence as you advance in age and you may have to find alternatives and treatments that help ease out the situation, but it is most imperative to make sure that you take the best advice from a qualified and certified doctor so that you problem may be diagnosed correctly and you may be able to get treatment suggestions that may cater to your specific body and ailment needs.