Without proper testing, certain childhood eye conditions can impact your child’s vision and education performance. This can include:
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye): The Most Common Cause of Vision Impairment
Amblyopia, often referred to as “lazy eye,” is a vision development disorder where one eye fails to achieve normal visual acuity, even with prescription glasses or contact lenses. This condition typically begins in early childhood when the brain favors one eye over the other, resulting in the weaker eye developing less effective vision. Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision impairment in children, and if left untreated, it can lead to permanent vision loss in the affected eye. Treatments often involve strengthening the weaker eye, typically through the use of eye patches, glasses, or vision therapy.
Strabismus: Imbalance in the Positioning of the Two Eyes
Strabismus is a condition where the eyes do not align properly and point in different directions due to an imbalance in the muscles controlling eye movement. One eye may turn inward, outward, upward, or downward while the other eye focuses on a different object. This misalignment can interfere with depth perception and, if untreated, may lead to amblyopia as the brain starts to ignore the signals from the misaligned eye to avoid double vision. Strabismus can be corrected through various treatments, including glasses, eye exercises, and in some cases, surgery to realign the eye muscles.