Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is an eye condition where mainly one or both eyes have a decrease in acuity that is not caused by some pathology and can not be corrected by either glasses or contact lenses. It is more commonly associated with crossed eyes or with a large difference in prescription between each eye. Amblyopia affects roughly 3 out of every 100 children in the US and is the most common cause of visual impairment in children. Amblyopia tends to predominantly occur before the age of 6, which is why it is recommended that children have an eye exam around 6 months of age and another one before the age of 3.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms can be easily missed if the condition is in one eye as the “stronger” eye will do most of the work for vision but there are little signs that may make a parent aware that there is an issue. They include:
- Squinting one eye
- Light sensitivity in one eye
- Headaches behind one eye
- Favoring one eye
- Bumping into objects on one side
- Eye turning in/out/up/down
What can be done?
It is very important that both eyes work equally when a child is developing as the treatments tend to be more successful and can improve quicker when caught earlier. The treatments include:
- Glasses or contact lenses
- Patching the “good” eye
- Eye drops that blur vision in the “good” eye
- Vision Therapy
- Prism
If you suspect that your child has any of the above symptoms, you should call for an appointment today 860-233-2020.
