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Tag: amblyopia

To Be Or Not To Be Lazy…

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in About Envision Eyecare, Asheville, Education, Eye Care & Eye Health, Featured, Personal Development. No Comments on To Be Or Not To Be Lazy…

The truth about that “lazy eye.”

There is so much conversation that happens around the topic of “lazy eye,” also known as amblyopia, we thought we should take a little time to clarify some points and highlight a few others. Despite popular belief, for starters, ‘lazy eye’ can happen in both eyes and not just one. In truth of the matter is the term lazy eye is inaccurate as the condition is caused by a development problem in the brain and not the eye.

7cdefbb9a6faf7e38f197ad0e3348c38The truth is amblyopia is a brain thing and not a ‘lazy eye’ issue at all.  For instance, if one eye hasn’t had the opportunity to develop fully or as well as its counterpart, the brain will ultimately work harder [over compensation] to use the ‘good eye’ over the ‘lazy eye.’  When detected in early childhood, often times wearing a patch solves the problem straight away. However, it is not the only means of treating ‘lazy eye.’  Consulting with your eye doctor is always the best route to take when you have questions or notice early signs of this condition in your child.

Nevertheless, it’s always good to have a little information in your back pocket when you begin researching and delving into this process of uncovering “the truth about lazy eye” and all the ways it may or may not affect your child’s life.  We thought we’d help by give you a little head start.

A few things to keep in mind when discussing ‘lazy eye’:

  • it is a condition that develops from an early childhood when one eye does not develop properly
  • ‘lazy eye’ can actually happen in both eyes though one will be weaker than the other
  • wearing an eye patch alone is not the only form of rehabilitating the eye
  • blurred vision, double vision and lack of eye coordination are signs of ‘lazy eye’
  • a combined effort of vision therapy and wearing a patch is an optimal form of treatment
  • amblyopia and strabismus [crossed eyed] are not the same thing
  • it is not true that once a child reaches adulthood ‘lazy eye’ is untreatable

Remember, making sure your child’s annual eye exam is a regular occurrence is one way to keep an eye out for an early warning signs. As with most things in life, knowledge is power and empowering your child’s precious sense of sight is priority!  At least that’s what we think here at Envision.

Children And Their Eyes…

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in Education, Eye Care & Eye Health, Featured. No Comments on Children And Their Eyes…

 

Before I became a part of the amazing team at Envision, I worked in childcare.  I got my degree in psychology with an emphasis in child development.  I was a preschool teacher for three years, baby sat everyone’s kids when I could, and was a nanny to three children for almost two years.  It’s safe to say, I know a thing or two when it comes to kids.

Throughout my years of working in childcare; kids would get sick, pink eye would be passed around, and there was always your occasional lice check.  I always heard parents talking about taking their children to their primary care physician for check up’s, or to the dentist to get their teeth cleaned, but never did I hear anyone talk about taking their child to the eye doctor.

Since working in the eye care field, I have learned so much about the importance of a yearly, comprehensive eye evaluation.  Most individuals assume that you don’t need to go to the eye doctor unless you are having trouble with your vision.  Truth be told, having the actual health of the eye evaluated, is very important for individuals at any age.

Did you know that children can suffer from congenital glaucoma or retinoblastoma, a rare malignant tumor of the retina?  These types of diseases and other conditions can all be spotted with early detection, and often times, corrected if caught soon enough.  This is just one reason to have your child evaluated at an early age.

The American Optometry Association estimates that 1 in 4 children have a vision- related condition, and 60% of learning disabilities are associated with vision problems.  Poor vision can also affect a child’s physical and neurological development as eye muscle imbalances called strabismus or more commonly, “crossed eye’s” can lead to amblyopia, also known as, “lazy eye.” This is when the individuals brain suppresses vision from one eye to avoid seeing double, which can lead to total vision loss in that eye if untreated.

Getting your child into the eye doctor between 6-12 months is the perfect age for an initial comprehensive screening.  InfantSee, a public health program for infants, offers a free comprehensive evaluation to infants before a year of age.  This is a great way to get your child screened early to be sure their eyes are healthy.  After the initial screening children can return to see their eye doctor around Kindergarten for a vision assessment and eye health evaluation.

If you are interested in getting your child seen for a comprehensive exam, or if you have questions about your child’s eyes, or vision, please come by or call our office.  We would love to help in any way we can.

By: Katie Porter

A Word to the Wise about Lazy Eyes

Written by Envision Eyecare on . Posted in About Envision Eyecare, Eye Care & Eye Health. No Comments on A Word to the Wise about Lazy Eyes

Probably the single most important factor in the care and safeguarding of a child’s eyesight is a thorough eye health examination between the ages of three and four years of age. Many parents assume little can be accomplished at such a young age; however, this is not the case. In fact, there is a good deal of critical information that can be determined, even in babies.

A common condition known as amblyopia (lazy eye) is one of the key conditions that can be prevented if its underlying cause can be diagnosed and treated early.

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