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August 29, 2008
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Amblyopia (cont.)

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How Is Amblyopia Diagnosed?

Your child's pediatrician or the vision program at school will check three aspects of your child's eye health:

  1. That your child's eyes let light all the way through
  2. That both eyes see equally well
  3. That the eyes are moving normally.
If there's a problem in any of those three areas, the pediatrician or school nurse may recommend a visit to an eye specialist.

How Is Amblyopia Treated?

The most common treatment for amblyopia is to force the brain to start using the "bad" eye by putting a patch over the "good" eye. At first, the child will have a hard time seeing with just the weaker eye. However, it is very important that your child wear the patch diligently because this will eventually improve vision. It can take weeks, months, or even a year for an eye patch to improve vision.

As the child keeps using only the eye with amblyopia, his or her vision will continue to improve. After the doctor determines that vision is back to normal, your child will not have to wear the patch. In cases of mild amblyopia, the doctor might recommend using an eye drop called atropine in the "good" eye instead of a patch. Atropine makes it impossible for that eye to focus close-up, forcing the "bad" eye to do most of the work while the child is playing with toys, eating, drawing or reading.

If there is something blocking light from getting into the eye, the doctor might recommend surgery to remove the blockage. If strabismus is preventing the eyes from moving together correctly, your doctor might recommend surgery on the muscles of the eye. And if the focus of one eye is very different from the other, eyeglasses or contact lenses might be necessary.

Your doctor will discuss with you what treatment is most appropriate for your child.



Next: What is the outlook for children with amblyopia? »

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