Lazy Eye or Amblyopia is a condition in which one eye has reduced vision due to improper development in the early stages of a child's life. The weaker or lazy eye can travel inwards and outwards depending on how the lazy eye transpires.

Lazy Eye develops in the formative years of a person's existence. Therefore, identifying the symptoms and causes early on is important. Early detection helps in managing the issue better.

In the article below, we'll discuss the symptoms and causes of Amblyopia.

Symptoms of Amblyopia

Signs that your child has Amblyopia are the following:

1. An eye that may wander inwards or outwards. Generally, our eyes follow a straight trajectory. They are not prone to moving inwards or outwards of their own volition.

2. Eyes that don't appear to be working in tandem. Our line of sight works because we see things as they happen. Normal eyes tend to focus on things at the same time.

3. Inaccurate perception of depth. If you find that your child or someone around you falter on stairs or cannot decipher just how much water is present in a glass, that's something to look out for.

4. Squinting or shutting a single eye. If your child is often squinting and one eye or the other is closing, they might have Amblyopia.

5. Tilting their head. If your child has to tilt their head to make sense of their vision, it may cause concern.

6. Abnormal results of vision screening tests. Perhaps the clearest sign of Amblyopia is that the results come back positive.

Causes of Amblyopia

Once you're aware that Amblyopia is the problem, you can look into its causes to prevent a further generation from encountering it. The causes of Amblyopia are as follows:

1. Muscle imbalance. The most common cause of Amblyopia is the presence of an imbalance in the muscles that help focus the eye. The imbalance may cause the eyes to move erratically in different directions.

2. A deviation between the sharpness of vision in the eyes. There's a notable difference in the prescription in each eye. It may mean nearsightedness in one eye and then farsightedness in the other. There may also be some astigmatism that can result in a lazy eye. It can be corrected using contact lenses and corrective glasses.

3. Deprivation. There may be a problem with one eye that's causing you to have cloudier vision than others. Deprivation amblyopia can generally occur in infants, and it requires you to get urgent treatment to prevent further vision loss. It can be the worst kind of Amblyopia as well.

There are many risk factors associated with the diagnosis of Amblyopia. These risk factors include the following:

1. Premature Birth

2. Smaller size at birth

3. A consistent family history of lazy eye

4. Disabilities with development

Final Thoughts

You need to know the causes and symptoms of Amblyopia or lazy eye. Knowing the causes and symptoms will help you identify the conditions as soon as possible to conduct treatment at the earliest. It could be the difference that your child needs.