What is amblyopia?
Amblyopia is poor
vision in an eye that did not develop normal sight
during early childhood. It is sometimes called "lazy
eye."
When one eye develops
good vision while the other does not, the eye with
poorer vision is called amblyopic. Usually, only one
eye is affected by amblyopia.
The condition is common,
affecting approximately 2 or 3 out of every 100 people.
The best time to correct amblyopia is during infancy
or early childhood. Parents must be aware of this potential
problem if they want to protect their child's vision.
How does normal
vision develop?
Newborn infants are
able to see, but as they use their eyes during the
first months of life, vision improves. During early
childhood years, the visual system changes quickly
and vision continues to develop.
If a child cannot
use his or her eyes normally, vision does not develop
properly and may even decrease. After the first nine
years of life, the visual system is usually fully developed
and usually cannot be changed.
The development of
equal vision in both eyes is necessary for normal vision.
Many occupations are
not open to people who have good vision in one eye
only.
If the vision in
one eye should be lost later in life from an accident
or illness, it is essential that the other eye have
normal vision. Without normal vision in at least one
eye, a person is visually impaired.
For all of these
reasons, amblyopia must be detected and treated as
early as
possible.
|
