Amblyopia Treatment Options For Lazy Eye

Though the understanding of their working may seem complicated, but the brain and the eye work in conjunction through a complex mesh of networking and signals. Most of us have noticed some people having one eye which wanders - either outwards or inwards. This happens when the brain does not receive any signal from the eye which has become weak. This condition is medically known as amblyopia, and in lay terms 'lazy eye'.

It is unfortunate that this common eye disorder is most found in children. According to statistics from National Eye Institute, every 2 or 3 out of 100 children have amblyopia. Conventional amblyopia treatment is restricted to corrective glasses and eye patches, though some cases of lazy eye may require surgical intervention. If lazy eye is not treated at the right time, it may lead to complete loss of vision.

The disorder is noticeable by the wandering of one of the eyes. It seems that the eyes do not work in conjunction with each other and not synchronized in their movements. When that happens it is expected that the perceptive abilities of the child should also get affected. Lazy eye usually affects one eye, or at times, both the eyes. Causes of amblyopia are many - starting from an anatomic defect to an imbalance in the working of muscles which work towards maintaining symmetry in eye movements. The imbalance causes the eyes to cross in or look out. The eyes of the child could also be structurally defective, in the sense that an abnormally positioned retina or a foggy area in the eyes' lens. Lazy eye could also be a result of a deformity in the shape or any difference in the size of the eyes. It is also possible that lazy eye is a pre-cursor to a tumor in the eye.

Like its time of occurrence, amblyopia treatment is also done during childhood, while the brain-eye network is still in its formative years. Treatment for lazy eye would largely depend on the causes of its development and the degree to which the child is affected by the disorder.

Treatment options include special eyewear which can rectify the problem, eye patches, medicated eye drops and surgery. If the doctor finds out that the lazy eye is attributed to disorders like nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, rectifying eye wear including contact lenses could be prescribed. To strengthen the weaker eye, an eye patch is recommended over the stronger eye. The patch is suggested to be worn for about a couple of hours a day.

Atropine-containing eye drops are also recommended to be put in the stronger eye. This stimulates the weaker eye to function more rigorously and get better. The eye muscles may need surgical intervention if the eyes are wandering or are crossed. Amblyopia treatment if done the right way through the correct procedure can assure vision recovery within a few weeks to a few months. But the important point to remember is to start the treatment as early as possible.