Treatment of amblyopia in children

  Amblyopia is a condition in which there is no organic pathology in the eye itself, but the vision in one or both eyes is low and cannot be corrected with lenses to achieve normal vision, usually less than 0.8. Amblyopia is formed due to poor development of the fundus and visual nerve mechanism during the critical period of visual development caused by long-term blurred vision. Generally speaking, the period from birth to eight years of age is a sensitive period for the development of vision and the maturation of binocular vision function, during which various refractive errors and other diseases affecting vision may cause amblyopia if not detected in time.  Amblyopia, once it occurs, not only affects the child’s future employment and work, so that they can not engage in a promising industry, but also brings great inconvenience to life, and more serious can also cause low vision, becoming a lifelong regret, so early detection and early treatment, parents should pay close attention to observe whether the child is too close to the book when reading and writing, whether the two eyes when looking at people, whether there is When looking at people, does the child look at both eyes together, does one eye gaze and the other eye is skewed; does the child always tilt his head when looking at people, etc.? Regardless of the above, regular checkups are the most effective way to detect amblyopia at an early stage. By actively cooperating with the physician’s diagnosis and treatment, most vision can be improved until it returns to normal. The examination of children’s visual acuity usually requires the use of 1% atropine drops for ciliary muscle paralysis, followed by photometry, and if the doctor diagnoses amblyopia, appropriate glasses should be worn in time to correct refractive errors and conduct corresponding vision training. Many parents believe that amblyopia should be treated after school, when the child understands and can easily cooperate with the treatment, but this is actually wrong. Amblyopia treatment is closely related to age, the younger the age, the better the effect, some studies show that: within 2 years old is the critical period, before 8 years old is the sensitive period, after 14 years old the treatment effect is suspicious, after the adult in the treatment is almost no effect.  There are many training methods, masking therapy combined with fine visual training, visual stimulation therapy, red light flicker therapy, etc.. The training should be done properly and under the guidance of a professional physician, with the full understanding that the process of amblyopia treatment is slow and vision is gradually improving, so parents should not be too hasty and should be patient and persistent. In addition, it is important to follow the doctor’s instructions to insist on regular follow-ups, adjust the treatment plan, and dilate the pupil once a year. Generally, amblyopia treatment takes about 2 to 3 years, so parents should have full patience and confidence. The improvement of visual acuity is slow and gradual, and even wavy. Some children are treated for several months, but their visual acuity does not improve, so parents become impatient and neglect the treatment, resulting in treatment failure. In fact, most amblyopia can be cured with consistent and regular systematic treatment. Parents should not delay the best treatment time for their children’s amblyopia because of misunderstandings or fear of momentary trouble, resulting in lifelong regrets.  All in all, due to the young age and poor self-control of children, it is crucial for parents to patiently guide their children through treatment under the guidance of a professional doctor.