You may not know the word amblyopia, but you’ve probably heard of lazy eye. These are two names for the same condition: where one eye has weaker vision than the other eye. This eventually causes the brain to ignore the weak eye so the eye stops trying to stay in alignment and loses focus.

Amblyopia typically affects children up to age 7, but adults can develop this condition as well.

Symptoms of Lazy Eye

The most obvious symptom is when one of the eyes appears physically out of alignment with the other one. This is referred to as wandering eye or strabismus (crossed eyes). However, there can be other warning signs that you or your child has a weaker eye:

• Squinting
• Poor depth perception
• Moving or tilting the head to see objects 

Eye Patch Treatment for Lazy Eye

It is important to treat lazy eye as soon as possible – especially for children. We want to make sure we have time to strengthen the weak eye while the visual system is still developing. This can be done by wearing an eye patch over the stronger eye for several hours a day to force the brain to send signals to the weak eye. We recommend this treatment be done before age 7, if possible. This treatment won’t work overnight, but it can be very successful if the doctor’s instructions are strictly followed.

Depending on the severity of your child’s condition, it may be possible to use glasses or contact lenses or medicated eye drops to strengthen the weak eye. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary.

If you are noticing any changes in your child’s eyes, your child is having problems in school or you have a family history of amblyopia, contact the pediatric ophthalmologists at Azul Vision. Our team is trained to diagnose this condition in the earliest stages so prompt treatment can be started. Our goal is to help children achieve their best vision for success in life. We’d be honored to care for your child, too.

Protect your child’s eyesight.

Schedule a Pediatric Eye Exam today!