Amblyopia – often known as lazy eye – is a condition that occurs in children. What happens is that the brain puts the emphasis on one eye at the expense of the other. For the sake of this explanation let’s call one the good eye and the other the lazy one (although treatment can make the lazy one good too with time).
Although there is no hard evidence that eye exercises can improve a lazy eye, exercising the eyes is good in general. Let’s look at the issue of lazy eye and what can be done.
What are the Signs of Amblyopia?
In many cases the child’s eyes will look absolutely normal, but sometimes the eyes will seem to be out of alignment or as though one is not as alert and responsive as the other. A child with amblyopia may hold their head at an angle as a way of trying to correct the imbalance. They may favour one side of the body or even bump into things on their weaker side.
It is natural for a parent to be very aware of their child’s development in all aspects including the eyes, but you do not have to become an expert. The best you can do is bring your concerns to the attention of your doctor so they can assess the situation and decide on a course of treatment.
You don’t need to understand terms such as refractive errors, which can make the child’s vision blurry, myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism. If your child is diagnosed with one of these or some other technical term, you may well want to read up on it to get a better appreciation of what is happening but trust the experts.
If your doctor prescribes eye exercises, that’s all well and good. It may not be the simple answer you have been hoping for, but there are ways of treating amblyopia and the general outlook is good.
Will My Child Have to Wear an Eye Patch?
A common form of treatment is wearing a patch over one eye – but it is placed over the good eye, which forces the brain to work with the weaker one. The patch is not used to protect the lazy eye, but to encourage it to work harder. Your doctor will tell you how many hours a day the patch is to be worn.
Will my Child Have to Wear Glasses?
In some cases, glasses will be prescribed to make certain corrections, with the aim of making the lazy eye function normally.
Will My Child Need to Have Surgery?
Surgery is not usually necessary as there is often successful correction of a lazy eye by other means.
What can I do to Help My Child Through This?
The best way you can help a child with amblyopia is to reassure them that there is a good chance it will be fine in the end and encourage them to persist with the treatment, whether that be an eye patch, glasses or in some cases eye drops. Children can become discouraged sometimes and this is natural, but with your support they can get through it. Visit Microprism Vision to learn more!
