Amblyopia – causes, side effects and treatments at NaturalPedia.com

Thursday, December 21, 2017 by Michelle Simmons

Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is defined as a partial or complete loss of vision in one or both eyes. The eye may appear normal, but the brain favors one eye over the other. It is an early childhood condition where a child’s eyesight in one eye does not develop as it should. This condition is caused by conditions that affect the normal development of vision. These include strabismus, cataract, and refractive error in the eye. Strabismus is a disorder in which both eyes do not line up in the same direction, while cataract is a clouding in the lens of the eye. Meanwhile, refractive error in an eye is when one eye cannot focus as well as the other due to a problem with its shape, which include nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

Known side effects of amblyopia

Some of the side effects of amblyopia may include blurred vision, double vision, poor depth perception of vision, eyes that do not appear to work together, or an eye turn, which can be upward, downward, outward, or inward. If a child has amblyopia, they cannot receive clear images in one of their eyes, and thus a clear image will also not be received by the brain. Moreover, if a child has amblyopia they will not be able to focus properly with one of their eyes. Even the child may not notice that there is a problem, so it is often not diagnosed until the child has their first eye examination. In some children, a noticeable squint or a droopy eyelid can be a side effect of amblyopia.

Body systems harmed by amblyopia

Since amblyopia adversely affects a person’s vision and the images received by the brain, the body systems that it can harm are the ocular and nervous systems.

List of foods or nutrients that prevent amblyopia

According to an article published on the website CureJoy.com, studies have shown that vitamin A is beneficial for eyesight. Therefore eating foods rich in vitamin A may not directly prevent amblyopia, but these will help overcome underlying problems, such as farsightedness or nearsightedness. Other studies have shown that eating carrots, squashes, dark green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, lettuce, dried apricots, fish, liver, bell peppers, and tropical fruits can help overcome or improve eyesight.

Treatments, management plans for amblyopia

There are several ways to manage or treat amblyopia. A person who suffers from a refractive error, such as astigmatism, farsightedness, or nearsightedness, may need to wear corrective glasses. If the vision is not fully recovered or if they only have one functional eye, glasses fitted with protective polycarbonate lenses should be worn. An eye patch is also used to manage the condition. It is placed on the weak eye to stimulate the brain to receive and recognize images from it. In some situations, eye drops are used in place of patches to blur the vision of the healthy eye, forcing the brain to take the images received by the weakened eye seriously. If a child has eyes that are crossed or outwardly developed, their eye muscles need to be surgically repaired. Other ocular condition that causes poor vision in the affected eye, such as cataract or droopy eyelids, also needs to be treated through surgeries.

Where to learn more

Summary

Amblyopia or lazy eye is an eye condition where in the brain favors one eye over the other, affecting the vision of the person.

Amblyopia may cause blurred vision, double vision, poor depth perception of vision, eyes that do not appear to work together, or an eye turn, which can be upward, downward, outward, or inward.

Consuming foods rich in vitamin A may not directly prevent amblyopia, but these will help overcome underlying problems, such as farsightedness or nearsightedness. Foods like carrots, squashes, dark green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, lettuce, dried apricots, fish, liver, bell peppers, and tropical fruits can help overcome or improve eyesight.

Amblyopia can be treated or managed with the use of corrective glasses, eye drops, and surgery.

Sources include:

PrimeHealthChannel.com

Tagged Under: Tags: amblyopia