HOMOEOPATHY FOR AMBLYOPIA

Amblyopia , sometimes called lazy eye is an eye condition that occurs in children in which the vision of one eye is weaker than the other. It occurs even if the child seems to have no other eye problems.

Amblyopia generally develops from birth up to age 7 years. It is the leading cause of decreased vision among children. Rarely , lazy eye affects both eyes.

CAUSES

Lazy eye develops because of abnormal visual experience early in life that changes the nerve pathways between a thin layer of tissue (retina) at the back of the eye and the brain. The weaker eye receives fewer visual signals. Eventually, the eyes' ability to work together decreases, and the brain suppresses or ignores input from the weaker eye.

Anything that blurs a child's vision or causes the eyes to cross or turn out can result in lazy eye. Common causes of the condition include:

·         Muscle imbalance (strabismus amblyopia). The most common cause of lazy eye is an imbalance in the muscles that position the eyes. This imbalance can cause the eyes to cross in or turn out, and prevents them from working together.

·         Difference in sharpness of vision between the eyes (refractive amblyopia). A significant difference between the prescriptions in each eye — often due to farsightedness but sometimes to nearsightedness or an uneven surface curve of the eye (astigmatism) — can result in lazy eye.

Glasses or contact lenses are typically used to correct these refractive problems. In some children lazy eye is caused by a combination of strabismus and refractive problems

SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of lazy eye include:

·         An eye that wanders inward or outward

·         Eyes that appear to not work together

·         Poor depth perception

·         Squinting or shutting an eye

·         Head tilting

·         Abnormal results of vision screening tests

Sometimes lazy eye is not evident without an eye exam.

RISK FACTORS

Factors associated with an increased risk of lazy eye include:

·         Premature birth

·         Small size at birth

·         Family history of lazy eye

·         Developmental disabilities

COMPLICATIONS

Untreated, lazy eye can cause permanent vision loss.

DIAGNOSIS

The eye specialist will:

·         Examine your child’s vision and eye alignment and movement

·         Check the eye  health by looking at the front and back of the eye

·         Measure how well each eye focuses

The method used to test vision depends on your child's age and stage of development:

·         Preverbal children. A lighted magnifying device can be used to detect cataracts. Other tests can assess an infant's or toddler's ability to fix his or her gaze and to follow a moving object.

·         Children age 3 and older. Tests using pictures or letters can assess the child's vision. Each eye is covered in turn to test the other.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Homoeopathy today is a rapidly growing system and is being practiced all over the world. Its strength lies in its evident effectiveness as it takes a holistic approach towards the sick individual through promotion of inner balance at mental, emotional, spiritual and physical levels. When amplyopia is concerned there are many effective medicines available in Homoeopathy, but the selection depends upon the individuality of the patient, ie, considering the mental and physical symptoms.

CYCLAMEN: Disturbances of vision. Dim vision with headache. Flickering of various colours. Smoky vision.  Diplopia. Squint, affected eye drawn inwards, especially left.

GELSEMIUM SEMPERVIRENS:  Blurring and discomfort in eye. Vision blurred, and smoky. Hysterical amblyopia. The eyes turns outward when the child is looking sideways and disappears when looking straight. Heaviness of eyelids, difficulty in opening the eyes.

JABORANDI: Weakness of eyes. Amblyopia with squint and near-sightedness. Eyes easily tire from slightest use. Eye strain from whatever cause. Spasm of accommodation while reading. Eyes turned upward and inward.

PHOSPHORUS:  Fatigue of the eyes even when the eyes are not overused. Weak eye sight and an aversion to light. A feeling of sand in the eyes, better by rubbing . Profuse watering from the eyes with itching.  Dim vision. Green halo about the candlelight. Smoky vision.

PHYSOSTIGMA:  Squint with myopia which is progressing rapidly, accompanied by pain in the orbits. Profuse watery discharge from the eyes. Photophobia along with blurred vision. Spasm of the ciliary muscles , irritability of the eyes and dim vision. Weakness in the eyes.   

QUASSIA AMARA:  A remedy for amblyopia.

RUTA GRAVEOLENS:  Weakness of ciliary muscles and blurred vision. Eye strain. Severe headache with myopia. Disturbances of accommodation. Dim vision. Watering from the eyes.