Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)

Amblyopia (lazy eye) is the most common reason for impaired vision in children. In fact, it is not an eye condition, but a disorder in the “maturation” of the visual centers of the brain, which cease to mature when they do not receive the right messages from the eyes to transform them to clear images. So, in essence, there is no lazy eye, but a lazy visual center.

Usually, the condition manifests unilaterally, and, rarely, bilaterally.

Maturation of the visual centers (visual cortex) is an ongoing process lasting 8-9 years, during the first 8-9 years of life. If, during this period, an eye problem occurs, the maturation of the visual centers is interrupted and children are left with blurred vision, even if they wear glasses, later on.

The most common reasons leading to amblyopia are strabismus, anisometropia (difference of degrees between the two eyes), or some anatomical anomaly (droopy eyelid, pediatric cataract etc.).

Early diagnosis and timely treatment are the key to success. The sooner the treatment begins, the better the results. For this reason, vision screening tests are advisable at preschool and early school age.

Amblyopia is treated with:

Glasses
Healthy eye covering treatment (Treatment duration and covering time are different, depending on the case)
It should be noted that full eyesight recovery is not always possible.