Treatment of amblyopia

Amblyopia is an eye disorder characterized by an impaired vision in an eye (left or right) that otherwise appears normal.

In amblyopia, visual stimulation either fails to transmit or is poorly transmitted through the optic nerve to the brain for a continuous period of time. It means that the optic nerves are not properly developed. There may not be apparent any disability on the affected eye.

 

Why to treat amblyopia?

If amblyopia is not treated in due time, the consequences of this eye disorder can be very serious and permanent. Amblyopia may be so severe that a child after covering the healthy eye can see objects only to distance of 1 meter and mostly just outlines of this object. In future, therefore, a risk of blindness is rather significant - any eye injuries of the healthy eye mean that the patient according to his or her amblyopia stage has a very poor sense of spatial orientation.

This defect affects 2-4% of the child population. Amblyopia often affects the following children:

• Children with strabismus 
• Children with pre-existing conditions of hereditary visual defects - if the mother or father of a child suffer from strabismus or refractive error, it is likely that this visual handicap will affect also their child.
• Children with a higher level of a refractive defect, children after cataract, eye injuries, etc.

 

When to start treatment?

It is necessary to discover and start to treat amblyopia in due time, that is still in preschool period (ideally in children aged 2-3 years, up to 4 years of age). The treatment can also be initiated later but the success of the treatment decreases with the age. Therefore, the most important step in treating amblyopia is PREVENTION!

 

The first vision screening should be performed by a paediatrician in a child aged 6 months and then checked regularly. It is particularly important to monitor children affected by strabismus. Make sure that your child undergoes the vision screening in due time and if you suspect an eye disorder do not hesitate to contact immediately a paediatric ophthalmologist!

 

How is the treatment done?

The treatment of amblyopia is only a conservative one (not surgical). Treatment is always individual and must be done under the regular supervision of a paediatric ophthalmologist and orthoptist.

The treatment of amblyopia is usually a combination of the following methods:

• Correction with eye glasses: A child gets glasses to correct rightly and accurately his or her refractive defect.
• Occlusion or occluder: The healthy eye is covered a few hours per day so that the affected eye is forced to work.
• Pleoptic eye exercises: Regular exercises when the affected eye is the most burdened with work at close distance.

Children's Eye Centre KUKÁTKO provides a comprehensive treatment of amblyopia in paediatric patients.