Amblyopia
Amblyopia is a common ocular disease in children. It is one of the main reasons for permanent vision loss in children. It occurs in 1 to 3 percent of the population. It is commonly referred to as “lazy eye.” Lazy eye has many meanings to different people. To some it means droopy eyelid, but to others it means a deviated eye. In ophthalmology, the term amblyopia means a decrease in children’s vision because of a vision problem that occurs in early childhood and disrupts normal visual development.
Amblyopia can develop even when there is no problem with the structure of the eye. The decrease in vision results when one or both eyes send a blurry image to the brain. The brain then “learns” to only see blurry with that eye, even when glasses are used. Amblyopia should be treated early on by a pediatric ophthalmologist to prevent permanent vision loss.
There are several different types of amblyopia. This includes Strabismic amblyopia, deprivation amblyopia, and refractive amblyopia. All types of amblyopia will result in reduced vision of the affected eye.
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