Amblyopia Symptoms
In some
cases there are no symptoms. For example, refractive amblyopia might be undetectable
because the child does not complain of blurry vision, and the amblyopic eye might
not look any different from the normal-seeing eye.
When symptoms occur, they include:
- Eyes
that turn in or out (misalignment)
- Eyes
that do not look at or focus on the same object
- Poor
depth perception
- Poor
vision in one or both eyes
Diagnosing Amblyopia
Our pediatric
ophthalmology specialists can detect amblyopia with a comprehensive eye exam that
includes a vision test, a sensory motor examination, and cycloplegic refraction
tests with dilating eyedrops, to check refraction without the eye being able to
autofocus.
A slit-lamp is
used to examine the structures of the anterior portion inside the eye, and a funduscope
is used to examine the posterior portion of the eye, including the retina and
optic nerve.
Treatment Options for Amblyopia
At UT Southwestern, our specialists start by treating the underlying disease:
- Glasses to correct refractive error
(to focus image clearly)
- Surgery to clear visual pathway
obstruction, such as to remove a cataract or to correct ptosis (droopy eyelid)
- Eye muscle surgery to straighten the
eyes
If the
vision is not improved, doctors will start patch treatment by covering the
stronger eye with a patch, to help the brain use the weaker eye and make it stronger.
In some cases, we might recommend eyedrops to blur vision in the stronger eye
to force the use of the weaker eye.
The number
of hours per day and overall length of time that a child must wear the patch
depends on the age, severity, and cause of the amblyopia. Children with severe
amblyopia might need patching for more hours of the day and for months or years.
Amblyopia is
not always correctable. If the condition isn’t detected early, vision might not
fully respond to patching. The earlier the detection and treatment of amblyopia,
the better the vision outcome. Patching usually has more success in children
younger than age 8, even though recent research has shown its benefits in
children up to age 17.