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Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
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Ency. home > Disease > A > Amblyopia

Amblyopia    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Lazy eye

Definition:

Loss of visual acuity in the non-dominant eye caused by lack of use of the eye in early childhood.

Causes and Risks

Amblyopia may be caused by any condition which causes one eye to be favored and the other ignored by the brain. Strabismus (crossed eyes), different refractive errors (farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism) in the two eyes, or childhood cataract are common causes of amblyopia. The preferred eye becomes dominant and has normal vision. but the non-favored eye is ignored by the brain, and the visual system in the brain for that eye fails to develop properly. Some time between ages five and ten the brain stops growing and the condition becomes permanent. Strabismus is the most common cause of amblyopia, and there is often a family history.

Ency. home > Disease > A > Amblyopia

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