Lazy eye

Lazy eye, medically known as Amblyopia, is a vision development disorder in which an eye fails to achieve normal visual acuity, even with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. It typically begins during infancy and early childhood. In most cases, only one eye is affected, but in some cases, amblyopia can occur in both eyes.

Causes

Amblyopia occurs when the nerve pathway from one eye to the brain does not develop during childhood. This occurs because the abnormal eye sends a blurred image or the wrong image to the brain. This confuses the brain, and the brain may learn to ignore the image from the weaker eye. Strabismus, different visions in each eye, and deprivation of vision early in life can all lead to amblyopia.

Symptoms

Symptoms of lazy eye include noticeably favoring one eye or a tendency to bump into objects on one side. Symptoms are often not obvious and are generally detected by pediatricians during routine eye checks.

Treatment

Treatment for lazy eye includes correcting any underlying eye conditions, forcing the child to use the lazy eye, and vision therapy. The earlier the treatment begins, the better the opportunity to reverse the vision loss.

See also

• Strabismus
• Vision therapy
• Pediatric ophthalmology