{"id":27958,"date":"2023-08-24T17:17:54","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T15:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/what-is-amblyopia\/"},"modified":"2023-08-24T17:17:54","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T15:17:54","slug":"what-is-amblyopia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/what-is-amblyopia\/","title":{"rendered":"What is amblyopia?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amblyopia is a form of weak vision.<br \/>\nThe eyesight is impaired and there are defects in formal vision.<br \/>\nIt is a visual impairment that is often diagnosed in childhood.<br \/>\nIn this article, you can find out more about amblyopia, its causes and treatment.   <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Development of amblyopia<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amblyopia is caused by the brain&#8217;s inability to process visual sensory impressions.<br \/>\nPerceptions are transmitted to the human brain via nerves to ensure sharp vision &#8211; this is how vision develops.<br \/>\nIf the transmission of perceptions is disturbed, this results in incorrect processing of visual impressions.<br \/>\nThose affected then experience a visual impairment &#8211; amblyopia.   <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Causes of amblyopia<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are various causes that lead to a disturbance in the transmission of sensory impressions to the brain.<br \/>\nThese include, for example <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Squinting eye (strabismus)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">defective vision<a href=\"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/short-sightedness\/\">(short-sightedness<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/long-sightedness\/\">long-sightedness,<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/astigmatism\/\">astigmatism<\/a>)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cloudy eye lens<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misalignment of the eyelid, e.g. drooping of the upper eyelid<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most patients suffer from a one-sided visual impairment.<br \/>\nTo compensate for the impairment, the perception of the affected eye is suppressed by the brain.<br \/>\nThis impairs the development of vision.<br \/>\nThere are also some cases in which both eyes are affected.   <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Who is affected by amblyopia?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amblyopia is a common visual impairment in children.<br \/>\nTwo to five percent of all children are affected by amblyopia.<br \/>\nAmblyopia often develops before the age of two, but is possible up to the age of eight &#8211; this is when vision development is complete.    <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Symptoms of amblyopia<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children rarely complain about the symptoms themselves.<br \/>\nIn early childhood, the perception of symptoms cannot even be communicated.<br \/>\nIt is therefore all the more important that parents &#8211; regardless of the exact age &#8211; take a closer look at visual behavior:  <\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is your child cross-eyed?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does your child have to hold objects closer to their face to recognize them?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does your school-age child have problems with reading\/writing?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are indications that your child may be suffering from vision problems.<br \/>\nIn this case, you should consult an eye specialist.<br \/>\nYou should also attend check-ups even if there are no signs of visual impairment &#8211; early detection is particularly important for amblyopia.<br \/>\nMore on this later.   <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Treatment of amblyopia<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The treatment of amblyopia is generally possible if it is recognized in time.<br \/>\nThe treatment method depends on the underlying cause.<br \/>\nAn attempt is made to treat the underlying disease specifically in order to eliminate the disruptive factor for the transmission of sensory perception to the brain.<br \/>\nDepending on the disease, this may look like this:   <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual aids for defective vision<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cataract surgery for lens opacities<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eye muscle surgery for strabismus<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the case of defective vision, the visual aid should first improve visual acuity.<br \/>\n <a href=\"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/was-ist-eine-grauer-star-katarakt-operation\/\">Cataract surgery<\/a> is also performed first if the lens is cloudy.<br \/>\nThis is followed by treatment for amblyopia.<br \/>\nIn the case of strabismus, the order is often reversed: amblyopia treatment first, followed by strabismus treatment.     <\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Grauer-Star-Katarakt Operation? Was ist das genau?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wzzLmTnSGoQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><b>Occlusion therapy &#8211; treatment of amblyopia<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best-known and most promising treatment method for amblyopia is to cover the affected eye &#8211; also known as patching or occlusion therapy.<br \/>\nThis involves covering the healthy eye with a special patch.<br \/>\nIt is also possible to wear an eye patch or glasses with a cover.<br \/>\nThe latter method requires glasses to be worn consistently.     <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Covering the healthy eye stimulates development in the eye with lower visual acuity.<br \/>\nThe therapy usually lasts until both eyes have the same visual acuity. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Atropine drops for amblyopia<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to masking treatment, atropine drops can also be administered.<br \/>\nThese are pupil-dilating eye drops that are applied to the healthy eye.<br \/>\nThis also stimulates the development of poor vision.<br \/>\nThe application of the drops is often easier than occlusion therapy and is better accepted by children.<br \/>\nA combination of occlusion therapy and therapy with atropine drops is also possible.      <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>At what age can amblyopia be treated?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The earlier amblyopia is discovered, the better the chances of recovery.<br \/>\nIn the worst-case scenario, amblyopia can lead to a loss of vision.<br \/>\nWhile the visual center is still developing (up to the age of eight to ten), treatment is more likely to be successful.<br \/>\nAfter that, the chances of success decrease.     <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Early detection  <\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attending annual check-ups helps with early detection and diagnosis.<br \/>\nFrom birth, the eyes should be checked during the check-ups.<br \/>\nThe red reflex is tested (so-called Br\u00fcckner test).<br \/>\nThe following tests are also important in the diagnosis of visual disorders and therefore the cause of amblyopia:   <\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long stereo test: testing of spatial vision &#8211; strabismus is tested.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hirschberg test: Position and symmetry of the cornea are checked &#8211; detection of strabismus.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual acuity test: visual acuity test, from the age of three.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Autorefraction: Automated examination &#8211; determination of visual acuity, detection of strabismus and cataracts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b>Diagnosis of amblyopia<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If any abnormalities are found during early detection, your doctor will refer you to a specialist.<br \/>\nOphthalmologists and orthoptists are usually consulted for further clarification.<br \/>\nFurther examinations will be carried out to establish a diagnosis:  <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cover test: Shield diagnostics.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobility tests: assessment of eye movement disorders.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fusion test: Coordination between brain and eyes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Objective refraction in cycloplegia &#8211; use of the autorefractometer after short-term paralysis of the ciliary muscle with the aid of medication.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Slit-lamp biomicroscopy: the anterior segment of the eye is examined.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Funduscopy: examination of the fundus, retina and blood vessels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Frequently asked questions &amp; answers about amblyopia<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Where does amblyopia come from?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The processing of visual impressions ensures that vision develops further in childhood.<br \/>\nAmblyopia occurs when at least one eye suffers from a visual impairment.<br \/>\nThis disrupts the transmission of a visual impression to the brain, resulting in blurred visual impressions.<br \/>\nThe brain tries to suppress the low visual acuity.<br \/>\nThis results in impaired visual development.    <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Is amblyopia congenital?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amblyopia can be congenital.<br \/>\nIt is caused by various visual disorders.<br \/>\nIf there is a family history of eye diseases (e.g. cataracts, strabismus, short-sightedness and long-sightedness), this represents a risk factor, as the diseases can be genetically predisposed and can lead to amblyopia.  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Can amblyopia in adults be cured?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As amblyopia is a developmental deficit and children are still developing, the condition can usually be fully or partially treated in childhood.<br \/>\nIn adults, development is largely complete.<br \/>\nNevertheless, the nerve tracts continue to regenerate as the child gets older.<br \/>\nAn improvement in vision is therefore possible to a certain extent with treatment.   <\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Willkommen auf dem EyeLaser YouTube-Kanal\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RYLi6_MzLek?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amblyopia is a form of weak vision. The eyesight is impaired and there are defects in formal vision. It is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":22307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cataract-surgery"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eyelaser.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}