Amblyopia: What is a “lazy eye?”
WHAT IS AMBLYOPIA?
Amblyopia is a medical condition of one or both eyes where the eyes are healthy but vision is not clear, even with proper glasses or contact lens correction.
Amblyopia can happen in a child for many reasons, including high glasses prescription, strabismus (eye turn), or deprivation of clear vision by cataracts or other eye diseases during infancy.
Treatment aims to improve vision out of the amblyopic eye through occlusion, eye drops, or vision therapy. Your eye care provider will determine the best treatment option for you or your loved one.
ADVANCED TREATMENTS FOR AMBLYOPIA
VISION THERAPY
Many optometry offices in the Fargo/Moorhead area offer vision therapy treatment for amblyopia. Therapy is designed to improve the focusing and teaming ability of the amblyopic eye, thus improving clarity of vision.
VIRTUAL REALITY
The latest research indicates the use of optometry-specific virtual reality software to "wake up" the brain to use both eyes. This new technique has shortened treatment times significantly and improved vision in both children and adults.
HOME OCCLUSION
Often times, eye care providers begin amblyopia treatment by using an eye patch, eye drops, or selective-occlusion glasses and software to improve vision. These treatments have varying success rates depending on compliance and length of treatment time.
WHICH TREATMENT IS BEST FOR AMBLYOPIA?
No two patients are the same, so treatment will vary in each case. With so many options to choose from, eye care providers will select the best method of treatment that will maximize visual improvement. These options can include:
Providing the best vision correction (glasses and/or contacts) for the patient. Sometimes proper correction is the only treatment needed to improve vision.
Home treatment such as patching, eye drops, or selective occlusion.
Doctor-directed vision therapy treatment.
Depending on the severity of a patient's amblyopia, one or all of these treatments can be implemented. Talk to your eye care provider about which treatment is right for you.
