Lazy eye, which is also referred to as amblyopia, is a condition in which vision cannot be corrected by glasses or contact lenses. This condition often has nothing to do with any eye disease; instead, the brain simply does not fully acknowledge the images that are seen by the eye. Luckily, this condition is treatable and can be reversed with treatments by an optometrist.
Optometrists Treat Lazy Eye
Most common sufferers are children—According to the Optometrists’ Network, approximately 3% of all children under six years old suffer from some form of lazy eye. This can include loss of depth perception and three-dimensional vision.
Treatment can help at any age—Whether your small child or your teenage son or daughter starts to complain of vision loss, treatments for lazy eye can help. Of course, the earlier the problem is diagnosed and treated, the better the results will be. Since the brain can change at any age, you can rest easy knowing that your child’s vision can and will improve.
Types of treatments—Typically one eye has stronger vision than the other, so a patch can cover the stronger eye, forcing the brain to recognize the eye that has weaker vision. This will naturally improve the eye’s ability to focus. Other treatments include contact lenses to correct the discrepancy between near and farsightedness.
Symptoms of lazy eye—Typically, this condition develops before a child is six years old, and symptoms may not always be obvious. Certain symptoms may include the significant favoring of one eye over the other or poor depth perception.
Early diagnosis of lazy eye can lead to better treatment results. To learn more about lazy eye, or to schedule an appointment with an optometrist at Valley Eyecare Center, call (602) 955-2700, or visit our website.
