Articles by LoBue Laser & Eye Medical Centers Inc

Prescription glasses

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 9:59 AM

Have you noticed your child squinting, frequently rubbing his or her eyes, having red, irritated eyes, or avoiding visual tasks?  These could be signs that your child is not seeing well and may need prescription glasses.  Very often, prescription lenses will relieve these symptoms and provide the child with the clear and comfortable vision necessary for proper visual development.  However, prescribing lenses may just be the tip of the iceberg.  The problem may lie in a more serious sensory abnormality found in children called amblyopia. 

     Amblyopia is a reduction in visual acuity without a pathological cause.  This means that all of the ocular structures are in tact and normal, but vision is poor.  An eye with amblyopia is commonly described as a "lazy eye."  The cause of decreased vision occurs because the brain's visual cortex is not stimulated sufficiently.  Visual stimuli  can be reduced if an eye turn is present or if one eye has a much higher prescription than the fellow eye.  Naturally, the brain will favor the eye that sees clearer and does not have to work as hard to see through.  Consequently, the eye that turns or has a higher prescription is ignored, vision does not develop well, and becomes "lazy."

     Much of an individual's visual development occurs from birth to the pre-teen age.  If ambylopia is found during these critical years, the child has a better chance of attaining improvement in vision when treated by an eye care professional.  The first line of treatment is to obtain prescription glasses if needed.  This is imperative in supplying the clearest possible image for proper visual cortex stimulation.  In addition to corrective lenses, eye patching is utilized.  The better seeing eye is patched in order to allow the amblyopic eye to process visual information and prevent the brain from favoring the better seeing eye.  These procedures strengthen the amblyopic eye, and the goal is to improve vision to a level that is close to or equal to the fellow eye.  In cases where there is a marked eye turn, surgery to correct the eye turn may be indicated.  Prisms or bifocal lenses may also be utilized to achieve proper visual function of the amblyopic eye.   

     If diagnosed early, amblyopia can be treated to improve vision.  It is recommended that a child have an eye exam prior to starting school in order to screen for any visual disorders.  Examinations should be conducted earlier if an eye turn is suspected or if the symptoms described above are noticed. 

Jeremiah Tampoya,O.D.

For more information please call 951-696-1135 or visit us at www.lobue2020eyes.com