Understanding Strabismus and Amblyopia
Good vision takes a team effort from the eye muscles, eyes, and brain. When the eyes don’t work together, the brain has trouble interpreting what’s being seen. This can cause vision problems.
How the Eyes Work Together
Each eye sees from a slightly different angle. This means that two different pictures are sent to the brain. The brain fuses (blends) these pictures into one 3-D image.
When There’s a Problem
When the eyes don’t work together, the brain receives pictures it can’t fuse together. The brain suppresses (ignores) signals it can’t use. In most cases, signals from only one eye are ignored. The signals from the other eye are interpreted as a flat image instead of one in 3-D. During suppression, normal vision can’t develop in the eye that’s being ignored. This is known as amblyopia.
Subspecialties
- Esotropia
- Exotropia
- Diplopia
- Amblyopia
