Lazy eye symptoms in children are similar to crossed eyes. this is the difference

Amblyopia is a condition that most commonly occurs in children. However, if left unchecked, lazy eye symptoms can continue until your little one is an adult. What are the dangers, and what are the signs and symptoms to look out for? Check out more info in this article.

What is amblyopia?

Amblyopia has another name for lazy eye. Amblyopia is a decrease in vision due to the nerves in the eye and brain that are not working properly. This condition is characterized by poorer vision of one side of the eye than the other. Unconsciously, this difference in the quality of the eye's vision will cause the brain to ignore signals or impulses from the weaker eye, or the eye that is "lazy".

Lazy eye develops on average from birth to seven years of age. This disease is one of the causes of decreased vision in most children.

What caused it?

This decrease in vision occurs due to impaired vision development. The following are some of the common causes of lazy eye:

Strabismus or crossed eyes

The lazy eye is different from the crossed eye orstrabismus. However,strabismuscan trigger lazy eye because children have a habit of looking in two different directions. If the crossed eye is worn less frequently than the healthy eye, it can cause the crossed eye to weaken.

Refractive disorders

Nearsightedness, farsightedness or cylindrical eyes both cause vision problems resulting in blurred vision. In children who have lazy eyes, usually more severe visual disturbances only occur in one eye. This then creates a difference in visual quality and perception which ultimately causes the eye to become "lazy" to see.

Congenital cataracts

Congenital cataract is clouding of the lens in the eye that occurs from birth. If your child has congenital cataracts, you can usually see a grayish stain on the pupil of the baby's eye. In addition, he may also be less sensitive to the surrounding environment (for example, the baby does not turn around when someone is next to him), or the baby's eye movements are unusual.

Cataracts generally occur in only one eye. The eye that is affected by cataracts can develop a weakened vision, making it appear "lazy".

What are the signs and symptoms of lazy eye?

Lazy eye symptoms include:

Only occurs in one eye, not both.
The two eyes can not work together or different images when looking at an object.
Double vision
Frown frequently
Visual perception will differ between normal people and people who experience lazy eye.
Visual perception will differ between normal people and people who experience lazy eye.

In a child who has lazy eye, the weaker eye usually looks less different than the other eye. However, in some circumstances, this weaker eye may appear to be "running" in a different direction than the other eye. For example, inward or outward. Looks like squints, but lazy eyes are not squints. Even so, crossed eyes can cause lazy eyes (see point above).

Is lazy eye dangerous?

Lazy eye is very risky to cause children to lose their vision. What's more, this disorder can occur from birth. Therefore, the risk of vision loss can be even greater if it is not treated quickly by a doctor.

How is it handled?

The main treatment for lazy eye is to diagnose the underlying visual disturbance and treat it according to the diagnosis, whether it's strabismus, cataracts, or certain refractive disorders.

The following is the procedure for handling it:

In babies who suffer from cataracts, it is best to have eye replacement surgery as soon as possible when they are two months old.
If your baby is diagnosed with refractive errors, take your little one to an eye doctor for a prescription for the appropriate glasses.
Occlusion therapy.
Your doctor may also recommend wearing an eye patch for a healthier eye, so that the weak eye can be trained to see. The eye patch can usually be worn for one to two hours a day. This eye patch serves to help the development of the brain which controls vision.
If your little one has crossed eyes, he may need to have surgery to repair his eye muscles.

Thereafter, the severity of lazy eye symptoms can be managed over time. The sooner the lazy eye is repaired, the better the treatment results will be. So, don't hesitate to consult your doctor immediately.