Atropine Drops

What are the effects of Atropine?

Atropine has two effects when instilled in the eyes:

  • Dilates the pupil (makes the black part of the eye larger).
  • Stops the eye from focusing properly – blurring the child’s near vision temporarily.

Why has my child been prescribed Atropine?
Atropine has been prescribed to enable an eye care specialist to check the back of your child’s eyes andto determine if glasses are required. Atropine drops / ointment may be used when:

  • A child’s eyes have failed to dilate sufficiently with Cyclopentolate drops used in the clinic.
  • Your child has very dark coloured eyes; the additional pigmentation makes dilation more difficult.

Atropine can also be used on occasion to help ‘relax’ your child into their new glasses or to treat amblyopia (lazy eye).

Astigmatism information

Facts

  • Astigmatism is a treatable eye condition that can cause blurred vision and headaches.
  • It is a refractive condition in which the eye’s optical system is incapable of forming a point image for a point object (images are misconstrued).
  • The refractive error of the astigmatic eye stems from a different degree of refraction in different meridians; for example, the image may be clearly focused on the retina in the horizontal plane, but not in the vertical plane, or not on the retina in either plane.
  • It occurs when the front surface of the eye is uneven; an irregular shaped cornea or lens prevents light from focusing properly on the retina, the light sensitive surface at the back of the eye. As a result, vision becomes blurred at any distance.

What are the symptoms?

Severe astigmatism:

  • Vision blurred or distorted whether the person is reading close up or looking further into the distance.

Mild astigmatism:

  • Vision blurred at certain distances
  • Tired or dry eyes
  • Struggle to focus or read
  • Headaches, especially when trying to focus

How is it diagnosed?
Astigmatism should be diagnosed by a qualified Optometrist and/or Ophthalmologist.
A full optometric examination should be done to assess the degree and extent of the problem.
Small children, who may not be able to answer the optometrist’s questions about what they can see, can be assessed using a test called retinoscopy that involves reflected light.
What is the treatment?
In most cases, astigmatism can be corrected by wearing properly fitted spectacles or contact lenses.
Milder astigmatism may not need treatment unless the person has a job that strains their eyes, for example, computer work.
In some cases, astigmatism can be corrected by laser surgery which reshapes the cornea.

Aqueous Shunts

Aqueous shunts are devices that are used to reduce the eye pressure in glaucoma by draining the aqueous humour (natural fluid of the eye) from inside the eye to a small blister or bleb behind the eyelid.
Draining the aqueous humour, using a shunt, reduces the pressure on the optic nerve that causes loss of vision in glaucoma. The purpose of lowering the eye pressure is to prevent further loss of vision. Control of the eye pressure with an aqueous shuntwill not restore vision already lost from glaucoma.
Aqueous shunts have various other names such as tube implants, glaucoma tube shunts, glaucoma drainage devices and glaucoma drainage implants. These all refer to the same thing. Although there are many types of shunts available, two main typesare in use at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai and they function in a similar fashion.
These are called the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve and The Baerveldt Glaucoma Implant.

Amblyopia therapy information leaflet

What is Amblyopia?

Lazy eye – the medical term is Amblyopia – is a common eye condition amongst younger children. It means that one eye is not developing properly and becomes ‘lazy’ because the brain is working harder with the good eye to compensate. The problem is that if the brain ignores the lazy eye, the cells in the brain that create vision do not develop properly. Generally, Amblyopia affects just one eye but sometimes both eyes can have a problem.

What causes a ‘lazy eye’?

For children, the most important period for the development of vision is from birth to the age of 6 and if there is any interference with development during this period, then this can lead to amblyopia which is commonly caused by a squint (strabismus) in one eye, anisometropia (different vision/prescriptions in each eye), and/ or obstruction of an eye due to cataract, trauma, lid droop, etc.

Why does my child need to wear a patch?

The best and simplest way to treat lazy eye is to cover or patch (known as occluding) the other eye so the vision in the lazy eye can improve and develop the pathways to the brain.
The patch is worn over the good eye and the amount of time the patch must be worn is decided by the Orthoptist/Ophthalmologist and relates to the extent of the visual problem.
With early treatment by patching, vision can develop successfully but this becomes more difficult with older children and the level of vision achieved may not be as good.