Amblyopia

Also known as: lazy eye

What is amblyopia?

Amblyopia is a vision problem where the eye or eyes have difficulty focusing clearly on objects. It can occur for several reasons and is a common vision problem among children.

What causes amblyopia?

Several factors can lead to amblyopia. A cataract, or cloudiness of the eye, can lead to the difficulty focusing. It can also occur when the two eyes are not aligned with one another, a problem known as strabismus. Also, if one eye has a vision problem that differs from a problem in the other eye, such as farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism, this can also contribute to amblyopia.

What are the symptoms of amblyopia?

Sometimes it does not give symptoms, in this case eye check up is important when there is family history of ocular condition or if the parents observe abnormal visual behavior. Blurry vision is the primary symptom of amblyopia. Due to the eye problems that contribute to it, the blurry vision persists even when glasses are worn to correct the vision.

What are amblyopia care options?

The best treatment for amblyopia is to correct the vision very early with glasses to strengthen the eyes. If problems such as cataracts are present, these can be corrected surgically to help with the problem. Patching is another treatment. This involves covering up the stronger eye with a patch to allow the weaker eye to become stronger.


Reviewed by: Zenia Aguilera, MD

This page was last updated on: July 15, 2021 04:00 PM