Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Treating Mild Amblyopia
• Method 2 of 2: Treating severe amblyopia
• Tips
• Warnings

Amblyopia, or lazy eye syndrome, is a condition in which one eye sees worse than the other. This condition can lead to strabismus (the inability of both eyes to concentrate on one point in space), as well as impairment of vision in the weaker eye. Amblyopia is the most common cause of poor vision in children. There are many treatments for amblyopia for patients of all ages, although children respond much better to treatment than adults.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Treating Mild Amblyopia

1. 1 Check out the term lazy eye. A lazy eye is commonly described as a disease called amblyopia. Amblyopia is a condition that often develops in children under 7 years of age. At some point, the child discovers that one of his eyes sees better than the other, which forces him to use the stronger eye more often (because of this, the child begins to give more preference to the strong eye). This behavior leads to a gradual deterioration of vision in the weak eye (the longer the disease progresses).
   • It is for this reason that it is necessary to diagnose and start treating amblyopia as soon as possible. The sooner it is found and treated, the more successful the treatment will be.
   • As a rule, amblyopia does not lead to any long-term consequences, especially if it is a mild form or is diagnosed early (which happens in the vast majority of cases).
   • Note that over time, the healthy eye will continue to grow stronger in relation to the diseased eye, which at the same time will begin to "squint". In other words, when you look at your child, or a doctor examines him, one eye (the one with the patient) may turn in the other direction, losing focus on the object at hand, or for some reason will not be able to look straight ahead. ...
   • A similar case of strabismus is quite common in patients with amblyopia and is often resolved by immediate diagnosis and treatment.
2. 2 See your doctor. Since amblyopia is most commonly found in children, if you suspect your child has the disease, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. To increase the chances of early detection of amblyopia, your child should have regular eye exams at an early age. Some doctors recommend seeing eye exams at 6 months, at three years, and then every two years.
   • Although young people find it easier to cope with lazy eye syndrome, recent studies have shown that some experimental procedures have proven to be effective in adults as well. Talk with your doctor or optometrist about new treatments available to you.
3. 3 Wear an eye patch. In some cases of amblyopia, where vision is impaired in one eye, wearing an eye patch on your healthy eye can improve your condition.By forcing the patient to use the lazy eye as the primary eye, vision in that eye can be restored over time. This method works best on children under 7 or 8 years old. The eye patch is usually worn 3 to 6 hours a day for several weeks to one year.
   • The doctor may recommend that the patient do activities such as reading, school homework, and other activities that force them to concentrate on nearby objects while wearing the eye patch.
   • Eye patches can be used in conjunction with prescription glasses.
4. 4 Use prescribed eye medications. Medications (most often in the form of atropine eye drops) help blur the vision of the healthy eye and force the weak eye to work. This method works on the same principle as an eye patch, forcing the sore eye to work harder and, consequently, see better.
   • Eye drops can be a good alternative for children who do not wish to wear a bandage (or vice versa). It is worth noting that eye drops may not work if the healthy eye suffers from myopia.
   • Very rarely, atropine can cause some side effects, including:
     • Eye irritation
     • Redness of the skin surrounding the eyes
     • Headaches
5. 5 Wear glasses to treat your illness. To correct the misaligned axis of vision and improve vision, special types of glasses are usually prescribed. In special cases of amblyopia, especially when hyperopia, myopia or astigmatism is present, glasses can completely eliminate this problem. Otherwise, the glasses can be used in combination with other means. Talk to your doctor or ophthalmologist if you would like to combat amblyopia by wearing corrective glasses.
   • Children of a fairly mature age may wear contact lenses instead of glasses.
   • Note that people with lazy eye syndrome may have difficulty seeing while wearing glasses. The reason for this is that they are already accustomed to seeing with poor eyesight. Alas, it takes time to get used to normal vision.

Method 2 of 2: Treating severe amblyopia

1. 1 Agree to have surgery. The operation is performed to strengthen the muscles of the eye if standard methods have not worked. Surgery can also help with amblyopia caused by cataracts or clouding of the lens of the eye. Surgery may be accompanied by wearing an eye patch, glasses and drops, or, if the surgery has been successful enough, none of the above.
2. 2 Follow eye exercises as recommended by your doctor. Eye exercises can be recommended before or after surgery in order to correct visual defects and give the eyes healthy vision skills.
   • Because amblyopia is often accompanied by weakening of the muscles in the affected eye, strengthening exercises may be needed to restore the muscles of the eye on both sides.
3. 3 Get regular eye exams. Even after amblyopia is treated surgically (or otherwise), it can still return. To avoid this fate, arrange for recurring appointments with your doctor according to their recommended eye exam schedule.

Tips

• Detection of amblyopia at a young age may require an eye exam using mydriatic eye drops.
• See your optometrist for an eye exam.
• Improvements are possible at any age, but treatment is best started as early as possible.

Warnings

• If you do not detect and cure amblyopia at an early age, you can completely lose sight due to the loss of stereoscopic vision (spatial vision of both eyes).