Amblyopia is one interesting disorder. On the one hand it can be treated very easily and effectively, but on the other hand, if the treatment window is missed, there are only a few approaches that can lead to only minor improvements. The beauty of amblyopia treatment is the fact that as simple therapy as patching usually does remarkably well.
How does it work?
Within the critical period for the development of vision (up until age 8-10) patching is the most important approach to deal with amblyopia. Strabismus, anisometropia, or obstructions in the optical axis deprive the affected eye of healthy visual input. Gradually the brain adapt and basically shut down the signals coming from the affected eye – disabling the healthy development of the neuronal network in the part of brain responsible for vision – which in turn leads to amblyopia.
This eventually leads to decreased visual acuity of the amblyopic eye as well as impaired stereovision. By covering the better eye for a few hours each day this process can be fully reversed in the matter of months and healthy visual acuity of the amblyopic eye restored, provided that patching is done according to the eye care specialists’ instructions. Who would think that an intervention as easy as covering the better eye for a certain amount of time brings the results so good – but indeed it does.
Vision training aids patching
Admittedly there is a certain percentage of children in whom patching does not bring the results we all wish for. It may be due to poor compliance, type or severity of amblyopia, or some other reason. In these cases, or any other instance for that matter, it is well worth trying out a top-notch vision training solution such as AmblyoPlay. Christmas is coming and your beloved kid deserves a special gift for his or her amblyopia this year.
