Strabismus / amblyopia questions, please help.

When someone has strabismus, their eye turns inward or outward, right?  Does the person's affected eye usually retain normal or near normal vision?  So what is amblyopia?  Does this mean the vision is blurred in one eye?  So if someone's eye turns AND the vision in that eye is pretty bad, does that mean they have both amblyopia AND strabismus?  I have this problem but originally had it corrected when I was pretty young (too young to remember).  Only now it's come back again.  I don't have double vision or headaches, and I'm also wondering if this is because I had it when I was a child and my brain "got used" to it.  I know depth perception is supposd to be affected, but what exactly does this mean?  How does it appear to a person who has it?

On another note, I have read the strabismus can be corrected for esthetic reasons, but amblyopia cannot.  Is this true?  I can put my eyes together and see the 'full picture' if I try, it's just that the vision in my one eye is so bad I really can't see anything.  So which probably came first, bad vision causing the turn or the turn causing the bad vision?

So many questions, sorry.  Hope someone can answer them all for me.

[Forum-OD-MP]

'When someone has strabismus, their eye turns inward or outward, right?'

...or up, or down.

'Does the person's affected eye usually retain normal or near normal vision?'

depends ont he deviation and the patient.  some patients do retain normal vision with strabismus.  most do not, especially if left untreated.  the greater the deviation, the less likely to retain normal vision

'So what is amblyopia?'

amblyopia is POOR ACUITY (blurred vision) from the failure of development of retinal structures.  it is usually the RESULT of some other problem like strabismus or anisometropia (large Rx difference between eyes)

'So if someone's eye turns AND the vision in that eye is pretty bad, does that mean they have both amblyopia AND strabismus?'

yes

'I have this problem but originally had it corrected when I was pretty young (too young to remember). Only now it's come back again'

hmm.  if amblyopia is corrected at a young age using surgery, patching, etc et...it does not 'come back'.  you probably have some OTHER problem.  you need an eye examination.

'I know depth perception is supposd to be affected, but what exactly does this mean? How does it appear to a person who has it?'

this is a difficult question to answer.  to subjective.  it appears different than other people's vision.  but since no one can 'look' through anyone else's eyes, no one can give you any idea of what its 'supposed' to look like.  sorry...

'On another note, I have read the strabismus can be corrected for esthetic reasons, but amblyopia cannot. Is this true? '

pretty much, yes.  the traditional thinking is that once a person reaches the 'critical period' of vision development (generally agreed upon to be around age 8) the chances of 'correcting' amblyopia after that are very slim.

'I can put my eyes together and see the 'full picture' if I try, it's just that the vision in my one eye is so bad I really can't see anything.'

you need an eye exam.

'So which probably came first, bad vision causing the turn or the turn causing the bad vision?'

well, it depends.  if you had strabismus, then the turn came 1st and the 'bad vision' came later.  if you had 'accommodative esotropia', then the 'bad vision' came 1st and the turn came next.

you need to be re-evaluated.

[aimee37]

Get another opinion/re-evaluation

Interesting that they have an ophthalmology forum now..

[aimee37]

.

[aimee37]

"Interesting that they have an ophthalmology forum now.."

yeah lol they (medhelp) asked me if i would "help" with the setup of it.  i told them heck yeah, i would love to help...but i bet that the ophthalmologists probably dont really want my help lol

[aimee37]

travel...could you post the link to the ophthalmology forum?  i dont see it.  maybe i need an eye exam ;)

[aimee37]

Forum OD,

I don't mean to but in & I'm not TRAVEL OD but here it is... http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Ophthalmology/wwwboard.html

Blessings, TJ

[aimee37]

thanks, nurselpn

[aimee37]

Doc,
You need an eye-exam ASAP- come to Orlando

Travel

[aimee37]

in my defense, i dont see the same page as you.  i just now went to the front page of medhelp.org and found thr link to the forum myself.  i see the "modeator login page" and dont have access to the "front page" until/unless i LOG OUT as a moderator (which i never do).  just so you know why i missed it lol

[aimee37]

Thanks to all who commented.  I will get an eye exam, once I have worked up the courage.  As I said, some childhood trauma thing I guess.  Thanks again!