Lazy eye (amblyopia)
What is a lazy eye (amblyopia)?
When we are born we cannot see properly and we must learn to see as we get older. Vision develops very rapidly in the first three years and continues until we are about seven or eight years old. If a squint develops, or we need glasses, our visual development may be delayed and, if not treated, may never reach its full potential. If our vision is reduced and under developed, it is called lazy eye or amblyopia.
What are the symptoms of amblyopia?
Because it usually causes no symptoms, amblyopia often goes undetected. Unless the child has a squint or other obvious abnormality there is nothing to suggest the presence of amblyopia to even the most perceptive of parents. The child accepts having one good eye and one poor eye as being a normal situation. Amblyopia must therefore be detected by testing vision in both eyes independently.
Why does my child need to wear a patch?
Occlusion (patching) is used to make a lazy eye work on its own and so improve the vision by encouraging the development of the nerve pathways from that eye to the brain. The patch is worn over the good eye and the amount of time the patch must be worn is decided by the orthoptist and relates to the extent of the visual problem. If patching is implemented early on, a good level of vision can be achieved. When patching is started in an older child, it is more difficult to achieve good vision. Vision often cannot be improved by patching after the age of eight as the development of the eyes, has then largely reached its mature level.