Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)

Lazy eye, also known as Amblyopia, is a condition that usually occurs in one eye. In the lazy eye, the visual cortex part of the brain and eye connection is failed and the brain can not recognize sight from one eye. In time, as one eye gets stronger and the other gets weaker. Amblyopia is the lazy eye that is caused by abnormal visual development is usually seen between birth and seven years old. It causes discreet vision in childhood. Early diagnosis is very important for lazy eye and treatment at this stage can prevent the patient from long-term results. Glasses, contact lenses, and patching therapy can be helpful to correct the lazy eye. 

In this article, we will mention the causes of lazy eye and symptoms of lazy eye in the first part. In the second part, you can read about what lazy eye treatment is and the types of lazy eye treatments.

Causes of Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)

A lazy eye or amblyopia is a vision impairment that occurs as a result of abnormal vision development that changes the pathway of the nerves between retain and the brain. About one-half to two-thirds of amblyopia cases also have anisometropia either alone or in combination with strabismus, eye misalignment. The ability of the eyes to work together decreases and one eye gets weaker as the brain can not get a connection with it properly.

Some of the causes of lazy eye and amblyopia can be lined up as below:

• Muscle imbalance: A lazy eye is a condition mostly caused by an imbalance in the muscles that position the eyes. This imbalance prevents the eyes from working coordinately.

• Deprivation: Cloudy areas in the lens, known as cataracts can cause unclear vision in the eye. This condition requires treatment as soon as diagnosed to avoid the risk of permanent vision loss.

• The difference in sharpness of vision: This condition is also known as “refractive amblyopia”  A significant difference between the prescriptions in each eye can be the reason for lazy eye. 

Symptoms of Lazy Eye

A lazy eye may not have symptoms and can be diagnosed in an eye test by an eye doctor. The most common symptoms of a lazy eye can be lined up as below:

• If you blink a lot
• If you have headaches
• If you rub your eyes very often during the day and night
• If you have tired eyes
• If you have difficulties following a person or an object with your eyes
• If you tilt your head when looking at something
• If your eyes are pointing in different directions
• If you shut one eye or squint when looking at objects
• If you have difficulty catching or throwing an object

You may have a lazy eye. If you doubt having a lazy eye, you should visit a medical expert at a hospital or a medical center as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is very important for lazy eyes.

What is Lazy Eye Treatment?

All treatments for lazy eyes focus on improving the weaker eye and eye obstruction by using different methods.

Many children don’t realize any symptoms of a lazy eye. The reason for that is the visual process. It is done by the stronger eye as the weaker eye gets weaker till the eye doctor diagnosed a lazy eye. The treatment of lazy eye is more effective in early childhood. After 8 years old, the likelihood of vision improvement drops but treatment still can be effective after that age too.

Your child's vision will show signs of improvement within a few weeks of starting treatment. However, keep in mind that it may take months to get the best results. These treatments may be needed from time to time to prevent amblyopia from coming back. If you like to find out more about lazy eye treatment in the ophthalmology clinic and visit our pediatric ophthalmologists at Ekol International Hospitals, please contact our patient help service staff today.

Types of Lazy Eye Treatments

Some of the lazy eye treatments are including:

• Bangarter filter: This is a special filter placed in the lens of the strong eye. The filter blurs the stronger eye. By doing so, it tries to stimulate the weaker eye.
• Eyedrops: Eye drops of a drug called can temporarily blur the vision in the stronger eye. The use of drops, which are usually prescribed for daily use, encourages your child to use the weaker eye.
• Eyepatches: Patching therapy is very common for a lazy eye as well as vision therapy. To stimulate the weak eye, your child will wear an eye patch that provides better vision for up to six hours a day, sometimes more. 
• Corrective eyewear: Glasses or contact lenses can correct problems that cause amblyopia.
• Surgery: Children may need surgery if they have droopy eyelids or cataracts that cause deprivation amblyopia. The doctor may additionally recommend surgical repair to straighten the eyes. Eye muscle surgery is one of the most common surgeries in that field. Many problems such as binocular vision and refractive errors are also corrected with these treatments.

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