Such a disease as amblyopia is characterized by the fact that one eye to some extent (or in general) is not involved in the process of visual perception. At the same time, the development of the parts of the nervous system that are responsible for vision slows down or does not occur at all. For this reason, amblyopia therapy in children is difficult, and in some cases not effective at all, especially after seven years, when the formation of the eye is almost completed.
Treatment of amblyopia
First, it should be borne in mind that this disease does not pass with age, does not heal itself, and therefore in any case requires treatment. To begin with, the child should be examined, after which the ophthalmologist develops an individual treatment plan. The first stage of treatment is to determine the cause, which served as an impetus to the development of amblyopia. Proceeding from this, prescribe this or that treatment.
Optical correction
If the disease caused disturbances in the optics of the eye, the patient is shown contact lenses or glasses. In childhood, the selection of glasses has some features and takes place in several stages. Correct the visual defect should be as soon as possible. If you create a clear image on the retina (with the help of lenses or glasses), this will serve as a stimulus to the development of vision. Parents should understand that wearing glasses should be constantly, with the visual acuity checked once every three months. Children under the age of one year are almost impossible to wear glasses, so contact lenses are used in this case. Especially it concerns cases when the child has congenital myopia. However, it is not always possible to increase vision only with the help of glasses. Sometimes pleoptics are needed - special treatment, which is carried out 2-4 weeks after the beginning of the optical correction.
Surgery
Such treatment is necessary, for example, with congenital cataracts and, if necessary, is used for nystagmus, strabismus, corneal opacity. If a complete congenital cataract is diagnosed, the operation is performed in the first months of life. However, surgical intervention is not the treatment of amblyopia, but only a preparatory stage for future treatment.
Pleoptic treatment
After performing optical correction or after surgery, they proceed directly to the treatment of amblyopia.
Methods of pleoptotic therapy
Occlusion. The essence of the method is in turning off the healthy eye from the vision process, which forces the "lazy" eye to function. To do this, various kinds of occludors are used: rubber on the sucker, plastic or self-made, made of opaque cloth or heavy paper. The mode of wearing occludor is determined by a specialist. Always wearing occludor is necessary only for children with strabismus. With amblyopia, as a rule, wearing an occluder only needs a few hours a day. The duration of the course of treatment ranges from six months to two years.
Penalization. In order to "turn off" a healthy eye from the process, you can use not only the occludor, but also special drops that dilate the pupil. This method is used, as a rule, in those cases when the child is very small and does not observe the mode of wearing Occludor.
Stimulation of the retina (electro-, laser-, photo-, magnetic stimulation ); sensory videotraining in the form of computer programs for treatment (for example, "Tire", "Crosses", etc.); optical training at home ("mark on the glass"); visual sensory therapy at home (embroidering, playing with small details).
Regardless of the type of treatment, the most important is the timeliness: the treatment must begin before the brain has learned to suppress the sick eye forever.
A child with a "lazy" eye should take three to four courses of pleoptics each year. If the treatment is untimely, or the child does not wear an occluder, the visual acuity achieved during treatment may decrease. Moreover, amblyopia can return. That is why it is important to follow the prescribed recommendations and regularly come to the ophthalmologist for an examination. The dispensary observation of a child with amblyopia is conducted until complete recovery.