Lazy-eye syndrome in children

What Is Lazy-Eye Syndrome?

Lazy-eye also known as amblyopia and affects the vision in of the eyes. Do you know that when your eyes send signals to the brain, an image is perceived and that is known as vision. For this process to work smoothly, a strong connection between the eyes and the brain is required.

Those suffering from lazy eye have a strong connection in one eye while the other eye doesn't focus much. This lack of focus gives rise to lazy eye which if left untreated can significantly reduce your child's vision in the respective eye.

What Causes Lazy-Eye In Children?

One of the most common causes for lazy eye is strabismus, where the muscles behind the eye, which control how they turn and move, become imbalanced. If one muscle is stronger than the other, the eyes won't function together the way they should, causing them to cross or move in different directions.

At times this condition arises due to structural problem in the child's eye. Even cataract can causes lazy-eye. What happens is, the brain realises something is causing that eye to be impaired so it starts ignoring its signals and focuses solely on the other eye. After the cataract is fixed, the brain may not realize the vision in the affected eye has improved so it continues to ignore the messages it sends.

Anything that disrupts a child's vision in one eye, including an injury or a drooping lid, during the first six years of his life, can lead to lazy-eye and hence it is important to protect their eyes and watch for signs of vision problems.

What Are The Signs You Should Watch For?

The signs of lazy-eye may go unnoticed as it only affects one eye, thus, not making much of a difference in the vision. But there are a few signs that you need to track down in order to correct the condition as quickly as possible.

1. Watch out when your child focuses on an object. Does one of the eye wander away while the other remains focused? Do the eyes seem to be working separately instead of together? This could be a sign of lazy-eye
2. You can evaluate your child's depth perception by holding an object in front of him and asking him to grab it without moving forward. If your child reaches the object without any troubles, he is fine
3. But if he found to be trying too hard, only to fail at it, you can conclude he has lazy eye syndrome. Depth perception plays an important role as both the eyes should coordinate together to judge the distance aptly
4. If you find your child's eyes crossing frequently, it could be a problem of lazy eye

How To Treat Lazy Eye In Your Child?

1. The treatment for lazy eye can vary depending up on the intensity. At times doctors tend to artificially weaken the stronger eye which enforces the brain to concentrate on the lazy eye. This is the most common approach to this problem
2. In some cases, the affected child may be asked to wear a patch over the strong eye
3. Lazy eye in children can sometimes be caused by vision problems in the weaker eye, such as nearsightedness or astigmatism, correcting these problems with eye glasses can sometimes be the right measure taken
4. If your child has incurred lazy eye due to cataract, a surgery will fix the trouble sooner and will heal the vision quickly

In order to get the problem of lazy eye fixed quickly, you must detect it sooner. Children under the age of two usually gain the best results after the corrective measures have been applied. However, research has shown treatment can provide positive results in children up to teenage years.

Early detection of such troubles leads to faster treatment which will help in restoring your child's vision as soon as possible. Always contact your doctor or visit your child specialist in order to avoid any delays.

Did you like the blog on what is lazy-eye syndrome in your child? Do you know any child who had lazy-eye? Share your views and feedback with us in the comments section below.