A visual examination done at an early stage of child's developmental years will go a long way in detecting and treating a condition called 'lazy eye' or in medical parlance, 'amblyopia' which arises in many school-going children in India. 'Lazy eye' is a particularly tricky condition, as it does not manifest outwardly, and therefore, goes completely unnoticed, unless the child has an obvious squint.
What is a 'lazy eye'?
A baby's vision is poor at birth and develops over a period of time. Good eyesight requires that both eyes send same images in a clear and focused manner to the brain. Sometimes, for some reason, the child's central vision does not develop properly, one eye, or in some cases both the eyes, is not able to carry signals to the brain properly, as a result a blurred image is perceived.
The eye which has reduced vision is called the 'amblyopic eye'. Outwardly, the eye may look normal, and the parent may not even realize that the vision in it is diminished. The child tends to ignore the weak eye and use the good eye resulting in further deterioration of the amblyopic eye. If this condition is not detected and treated early, it can lead to blindness in the amblyopic eye.
Lazy eye is not caused by anatomical or structural defects of the eye, nor is it caused by any defect in the optic nerve. It is a deficiency in the visual pathway that carries signals from the centre of the eye to the brain.
