Q: What is amblyopia?
Amblyopia is reduced vision in an eye that has not received
adequate use during early childhood.
Q: What causes amblyopia?
Amblyopia, also known as "lazy eye," has many
causes. Most often it results from either a misalignment of a child's eyes,
such as crossed eyes, or a difference in image quality between the two eyes
(one eye focusing better than the other.) In both cases, one eye becomes
stronger, suppressing the image of the other eye. If this condition persists,
the weaker eye may becomes useless.
Q: Can anything be done to treat amblyopia and prevent
vision loss?
With early diagnosis and treatment, the sight in the
"lazy eye" can be restored.
Q: When should treatment for amblyopia begin?
The earlier the treatment, the better the opportunity to
reverse the vision loss.
Q: What treatments are available?
Before treating amblyopia, it may be necessary to first
treat the underlying cause.
 | Glasses are commonly prescribed to improve focusing or misalignment of
the eyes.
| Surgery may be performed on the eye muscles to straighten the eyes if
non-surgical means are unsuccessful. Surgery can help in the treatment of
amblyopia by allowing the eyes to work together better.
| Eye exercises are a limited form of treatment. Exercises may be
recommended either before or after surgery to correct faulty visual habits
associated with strabismus and to teach comfortable use of the eyes. |
| |
Q: What treatment follows the correction of the
underlying cause?
The correction may be followed by:
| Patching or covering one eye may be required for a period of time
ranging from a few weeks to as long as a year. The better-seeing eye is
patched, forcing the "lazy" one to work, thereby strengthening
its vision.
| Medication—in the form of eye drops or ointment—may be used to blur
the vision of the good eye in order to force the weaker one to work. This
is generally a less successful approach. |
|
Q: What happens if amblyopia goes untreated?
If not treated early enough, an amblyopic eye may never
develop good vision and may even become functionally blind.
Q: How many people have amblyopia?
It is estimated that two to three percent of the general
population suffers from this form of visual impairment.
