Lazy eye – or amblyopia – is a vision problem that occurs in childhood where the vision in one eye fails to develop correctly. As a result, the child sees more clearly from the one good eye. Here is some more information about lazy eye, as well as some of the new treatments being developed for it.
How Common Is Lazy Eye?
According to the NHS, amblyopia is a very common condition, and it affects as many as 1 in 50 children. Children tend to be diagnosed with the condition at about four years of age, and often there are no symptoms. Young children may not be aware of a problem, or they may not be able to explain it.
Sometimes, one eye may look different, but this could be due to a squint. Lazy eye is often diagnosed through a standard eye test, which is why it is so important for children to get an eye test at a young age.
What Causes It?
Lazy eye is caused by various problems. It can be caused by a lack of focus in one eye or due to a reduced amount of light entering the eye. A squint can also cause lazy eye. Whatever the cause, it is always important to get treatment as soon as possible for the best chance of success.
How Is Lazy Eye Normally Treated?
Most cases of lazy eye are treatable, and this is normally carried out in two stages. The first stage is to fix the underlying problem, which may involve using glasses, and this improves the eye’s focus.
The second stage involves encouraging the child to use the affected eye. This is often done by covering the stronger eye with a patch, or by using eye drops that impair the vision temporarily in the stronger eye. This type of treatment can take many months, but it is often very effective.
Surgery Options
If cataracts are the cause of lazy eye, these can be removed by surgery under a general anaesthetic. The operation is short, and it is often effective. Surgery can also often be used to treat a squint by improving the position of the eyes.
What About Laser Eye Surgery?
Laser surgery is not usually recommended for lazy eye. However, it can sometimes be used in adults.
It is important to remember that while laser surgery can be used on the bad eye, it will only make your vision the same standard as you currently experience wearing glasses, and it will not improve your vision beyond this.
That is why it is so important to treat lazy eye as a child. However, if you have mild lazy eye as an adult, sometimes you may enjoy successful treatment with laser surgery.
You can find out more about how surgery can be used for various types of vision problems at the Laser Eye Surgery Hub.
Possible New Options for Treatment
Another new treatment may become an option for lazy eye in the coming years. It turns out that electrical currents may be effective at treating adults, as reported in Medical Daily and based on research published in Scientific Reports. In experiments, currents have been used to improve sight in adults with lazy eye, albeit temporarily, so this could be an option in the future.
There have even been recent reports that virtual reality could have a role to play in treating lazy eye in the future.
Make Sure You Get Your Child Treated
Even though there are some interesting new possibilities for treatment, the best option is still to make sure your child gets treated as soon as possible for lazy eye. Make sure they get a routine eye check early on, and your optometrist will be able to spot if they have lazy eye. That way, they can start the standard treatment process early to enjoy the best chance of success.
Nicole Kay is a nurse who takes an interest in all the new technology and new treatments which have, and are becoming, mainstream. She writes health articles for blogs in her spare time.
