Orthoptics (“school of vision”)
AMBLYOPIA (POOR EYESIGHT) IN CHILDREN
Strabismus, eye movement disorders and ametropia in children can be treated by means of glasses, masking, eye drops and strabismus treatment. In order to prevent amblyopia, preventive examinations in children should ideally be performed before the age of 4. Since a child’s vision develops significantly up to the age of 6, even minor visual defects during this period may lead to irreversible visual impairment. However, visual impairment may also develop at earlier stages in babies and toddlers. There are also methods for examining the visual acuity of small children (e.g. skiascopy, Retinomax).
Do not hesitate to make an appointment with us and ask your paediatrician for an eye test or contact us directly.
Early detection and treatment are crucial as vision loss cannot be successfully treated later in life.
Our orthoptists conduct special children’s consultation sessions, our so-called “school of vision”, to test visual acuity, stereoscopic vision (spatial vision), eye movements and the refractive power (refraction) of the eye, using methods that are appropriate for children. In many cases, pupil-dilating eye drops have to be administered for exact refraction measurements.
An ophthalmologist will then examine the anterior (conjunctiva, cornea and lens) and posterior (optic nerve and retina) sections of the eye.
Should it be necessary to dilate your child’s pupil, please allow at least 1 hour for your visit to our practice. There is also no cause for alarm if your child’s pupils will remain dilated for several hours afterwards, and during this period the child may also not see well at close range and may be somewhat sensitive to glare. By the following day at the latest, this condition will have abated and your child will see normally again.
STRABISMUS TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN
Misalignment of the eyes (strabismus) may lead to insufficient development of both spatial / three-dimensional vision and visual acuity in children. If left untreated, this will result in visual impairment that cannot be corrected later in life. It is therefore crucial to “train” both eyes in childhood to ensure optimal visual acuity.
SCHOOL OF VISION FOR ADULTS
Strabismus, eye movement disorders and accommodation disorders do not only affect children but may occur at any age. So-called asthenopical symptoms are often responsible for headaches, migraines, spectacle non-tolerance and similar conditions. For this reason, we therefore frequently recommend a “school of vision” examination is also for adults. In the event of any of the aforementioned symptoms or of double vision, it is advisable to schedule a joint appointment with an ophthalmologist and an orthoptist in our “school of vision”. However, it is also possible to make two separate appointments. Please contact us and we will gladly advise you in this regard.