Lazy Eye: Causes and Treatment

Lazy eye, called amblyopia, is the medical condition where a person’s eye cannot see clearly due to the development of an abnormal visual pathway. Lazy eye is caused when the brain decides to ignore the signals coming from one of the eyes, and instead, it will only focus on the signals coming from the other eye. This can cause the neglected eye to become weaker and cause vision issues such as reduced vision, even though the eye itself is healthy.

What Causes Lazy Eye?

A lazy eye can be caused by a variety of different factors. Most lazy eye cases are genetic, meaning they are present at birth. A young person’s visual pathways can be affected by an underdeveloped eye structurally or functionally, meaning there might be something that’s anatomically wrong with the eye. It can also be caused, however, by the inability of the brain to properly interpret the signals from the eye, causing the eye to be lazy or “lazy eye.”

Another major factor in lazy eye is strabismus. This is also called “crossed eyes” and it occurs when the eyes are not straight and aligned, which causes the brain to “choose” which eye to focus on. That eye then becomes the dominant one, while the other is neglected and can become weak, leading to a lazy eye.

Finally, another major cause of lazy eye is refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. These conditions can make it difficult for the brain to interpret the signals coming from the eye and can result in a lazy eye if not corrected.

Treating Lazy Eye

Fortunately, lazy eye is treatable. Treatment options will depend on the underlying cause of the lazy eye and how severe it is. Treatments usually involve a combination of glasses and vision therapy, with some cases requiring surgery as well.

Glasses can be prescribed to help correct any underlying vision or eye health issues that are causing the lazy eye. This includes correcting any refractive errors and correcting any misalignment of the eyes. Vision therapy can also be used to help the eye become stronger and improve the coordination between both eyes. This can involve a variety of exercises and activities to help the weak eye become stronger and work together with the stronger eye.

In some cases, surgery may be recommended to correct any underlying structural issues with the eye or to help realign the eyes. Surgery is typically only used as a last resort, however, and other treatment options should always be tried first.

Lazy eye can be a very frustrating condition, but it’s important to remember that it is treatable. It’s important that you speak to your doctor if you suspect that you or someone in your family may be suffering from lazy eye. With early treatment, it’s possible to reduce the vision issues associated with lazy eye and to improve the vision in the affected eye.