Lazy Eye Vision Therapy

Binocular vision is a complex faculty that requires the brain and both eyes working together to produce depth perception and clear vision. In some cases, the brain may favor one eye over the other. When this happens, the less-favored eye--usually the one with the poorest vision--may wander, causing the brain to further ignore its input. This condition is frequently referred to as amblyopia, or lazy eye. This condition must be treated, or it may result in permanent vision impairment.

Diagnosis

• According to the National Eye Institute, lazy eye affects up to 3 percent of children. It is usually discovered during routine checkups through simple vision tests. However, if your family has a history of childhood cataracts or crossed eyes, or if you notice one of your child's eyes wandering while the other appears focused, you should contact your eye-care professional for an earlier evaluation.

Treatment

• Take your child to a qualified eye-care professional for a complete evaluation and therapy as soon as possible. It is important to begin treatment early, because the unique relationship between the brain and the eyes forms during early childhood. If other vision problems such as myopia, astigmatism or farsightedness are diagnosed, your eye-care professional will probably prescribe corrective lenses. In many cases this will also correct the problem with lazy eye and no further therapy will be necessary.

  If no other vision problem is discovered, your physician may recommend eye-patch therapy, in which the stronger eye is covered for specified time periods each day. This forces the brain to become dependent on the weaker eye and may help to stabilize the vision between both eyes. Your eye-care professional may suggest vision-blurring eyedrops as an alternative to wearing an eye patch. In some cases involving drooping eyelids, cataracts or eye muscle problems, surgery may be an option.