Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)

Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a condition that often affects children and can impact their ability to see clearly in the future. The term “lazy eye” was coined because the stronger eye works better. However, people with this condition are not lazy, and their amblyopia is not caused by anything they have done. 

What is Amblyopia?

Amblyopia, also called lazy eye, is an eye condition that affects the ability to see clearly out of both eyes. It often develops when an infant or child is very young and can worsen over time if not treated. In children with amblyopia, one of their eyes has blurry vision, and the other has clear vision. Their brain will begin ignoring the blurry eye and solely use the eye with clear vision to see. As their brain relies more on the stronger eye, the weaker eye’s vision can become even worse. Because of this, it is important to treat amblyopia as early as possible.

Diagnosing Amblyopia

It is not always apparent that a child has amblyopia. In fact, many kids are not diagnosed until they undergo an eye exam by a healthcare provider. However, if you do notice symptoms in your child, you may notice that they change how they interact with the world around them. Children with this condition may bump into objects, favor one side of the body, shut one eye or squint to focus, have crossed eyes, have a droopy eyelid, or tilt their head to one side.

There are many possible causes of amblyopia, such as other vision problems or structural issues of the eyes. These may include refractive errors (such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism), strabismus, structural issues, etc.

Treatment for Amblyopia

To treat amblyopia, your ophthalmologist will make your child use their weaker eye to see. This will work by repairing and strengthening the connection between their brain and both of their eyes. For best results, amblyopia should be treated before a child reaches 7 to 8 years of age. The most common treatments include:

Eye Patch

An eye patch can be placed over the child’s stronger eye, forcing the brain to strengthen the weaker eye. In some cases, eye drops can be used to blur vision in the stronger eye, or the child may wear eyeglasses with a lens that blurs vision in that eye. It generally takes weeks to months for vision to become stronger in the weaker eye. Once vision improves, an eye patch may need to be worn part-time for a few years.

Overall, remember to attend all of your child’s ophthalmology appointments to allow for careful monitoring of their vision.

Lazy Eye Surgery

In some cases, surgery will be recommended to correct certain eye problems that cause amblyopia. Your ophthalmologist will discuss which type of surgery your child will need and what to expect. After surgery, your child may need to keep wearing a patch or cover the stronger eye until their vision improves.

Schedule Your Appointment

Untreated lazy eyes can permanently impact your child’s vision. If your child is experiencing symptoms of amblyopia, please get in touch with Campus Eye Group in Hamilton, NJ, today to schedule an eye exam.

Patient Portal

Financing

Forms

OUR TEAM

Our professional staff is comprised of both consulting board-certified ophthalmologists and therapeutically certified optometrists who deliver the highest quality of eye care, innovative medical and surgical care, ensuring that our patients are provided with the most innovative solutions for maintaining, enhancing, or preserving their sight.

State-of-the-art technology combined with a courteous and informed staff creates the perfect setting for all your vision and eye health needs from comprehensive eye exams to treatment for rare eye diseases.

Meet Our Team