Common diseases of the visual system, such as astigmatism, myopia, cataracts, strabismus, are often accompanied by a disorder called amblyopia. This pathology leads to the fact that one eye sees worse than the other. The disease is also known as lazy eye. Let's figure out what constitutes a disease, when one eye sees worse than the other, what to do when such a violation occurs.
What is amblyopia?
Pathologists are based on the development of
visual analyzer dysfunction
. Fortunately, this process is reversible, since there is no factor of organic damage to the eye.
Why does one eye see worse than the other? This condition occurs due to impaired interaction of the optic nerve with the corresponding part of the brain. The main problem in this case is the loss of binocular vision. In fact, the brain refuses to synchronize the signals from the right and left eye. That is why one eye sees worse than the other, and it is extremely difficult for patients to objectively evaluate the surrounding reality. The image formed on the retina not only loses its usual shape, but also becomes less voluminous.
The mechanism of development of pathology
Why can vision be impaired ? The eye sees worse than the other most often at an early age. Adults are less likely to suffer from such disorders. The very mechanism of the phenomenon is the transfer with one eye of a lower quality image. Thus, the brain is unable to combine the received signals into a single, holistic picture. The result is a split picture.
With the development of amblyopia, the brain gradually completely stops using the eye, which forms an incorrect image. If pathology is present from early childhood, the eyes stop developing synchronously, which leads to the development of a whole mass of other pathological conditions of the visual system.
Who is at risk?
A disorder when one eye sees worse than another, most often develops in people who suffer from strabismus or have relatives with this pathology. Amblyopia can also occur when you refuse to take timely measures aimed at
treating myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and restoration of a clouded lens of the eye. The syndrome affects children with poor health, premature babies.
Types of Amblyopia
Based on the etiology of the disease, the following varieties are distinguished:
- Refractive amblyopia - develops as a result of the systematic formation of a fuzzy image on the retina of one eye. Often this leads to reluctance to wear corrective glasses for strabismus, myopia.
- Dysbinocular amblyopia - acts as a common pathology in the presence of strabismus.
- Obscuration amblyopia is a genetic disorder that is inherited. May develop with congenital ptosis or cataract.
- Anisometropic amblyopia - is gradually formed in cases when one eye sees worse than the other by only a few diopters.
Treatment
As with any other pathologies, it is better to fight the development of amblyopia at an early stage. The key to successful treatment here is early diagnosis. You need to understand that the violation does not go away on its own. Therefore, the sooner qualified medical care is provided, the greater the chance of a full recovery.
Diagnostic procedures aimed at identifying amblyopia require an examination, which makes it possible to establish the root cause of the formation of pathology. Subsequently, the ophthalmologist prescribes surgical or conservative therapy, based on factors that are at the root of the development of the disease.
If parents have vision problems, children must undergo a complete ophthalmological examination at the age of 3-5 years. It is during this period that it is easiest to cope with the development of amblyopia.
To strengthen the weak optic nerve, special contact lenses, glasses or laser correction are used. The eye sees worse than the other until the effects of cataracts or strabismus are eliminated. With the right approach to organizing therapy, these methods allow you to quickly cope with the presented violations.
Often children are assigned to wear the so-called pirate bandage. To do this, the old frame of the glasses is closed with cardboard or opaque plastic. Covering the "strong" eye makes the "weak" visual organ work more actively. As an alternative to the device, some ophthalmologists prescribe to patients the wearing of opaque contact lenses, instillation of a healthy eye with atropine, which leads to the formation of a blurred image.
Where to go for help?
Any experienced doctor at an ophthalmic clinic can develop a set of therapeutic measures to eliminate amblyopia. A specialist will perform diagnostics, prescribe eye-correcting procedures, select special contact lenses or glasses. The most qualified help can be obtained by contacting a private ophthalmological center. However, in the latter case, all services will be more expensive.
Cost of treatment
Therapy using hardware methods is free in state medical institutions. If strabismus or the development of cataracts is at the root of the disease, surgical intervention will be necessary to eliminate amblyopia. The cost of such events starts at about 20,000 rubles.
Finally
As you can see, amblyopia is a rather serious pathology. If you do not pay proper attention to eliminating the disease in the early years of life, in the future, the damaged eye can completely lose the ability to function normally. Therefore, timely diagnosis and the use of complex therapy plays a huge role in restoring normal visual acuity.