Amblyopia is an example of how the body suppresses or gets rid of activity that is not used. Amblyopia “ex anopsia” is the leading cause of poor vision in children, and the most common reason is a “lazy eye”. If the eyes do not work together for binocular vision, the weaker of the two eyes has suppressed development and eventually eyesight is lost.

I have a friend who was going in the pilot training, it was found to lack good depth perception, and could not proceed. He now complains occasionally of double vision, and may be an example of the suppressed eye with lack of binocular vision.

I have a muscle in balance which causes a rotation of my eye so that it’s hard to fuse on a horizontal linear object. I was probably able to fuse  when I was younger and avoid this loss of vision in the weaker eye.

So be on the alert for a squint, or wandering eye in children. Get them in early for treatment, the earlier the better, and it must take place before age 5 to 7.

—Dr. C.

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