The common term for the medical condition amblyopia, lazy eye, presents in the patient as an eye that “wanders” to drift up, down, and/or side to side, causing eyes to move out of sync. This condition can result in poor depth (or “3D”) perception or even double vision. Fortunately, physicians and patients can take many different approaches to lazy eye treatment.
Depending on the cause and severity of your dry eye, a physician might recommend treatments that include corrective eyewear, eye patches, eye drops, physical therapy, or surgery. Also known as “strabismus surgery,” surgical procedures can address lazy eye by either tightening or loosening one or more of the six muscles that produce eye movement.
How Effective is Lazy Eye Treatment?
The ultimate results of any lazy eye treatment will depend on many different factors, including the degree to which vision is impacted and the specific therapeutic options pursued. The age of the patient is perhaps the most important variable in the prognosis of lazy eye.
Causes and Development
Lazy eye typically emerges during infancy or early childhood when the visual system is still developing. Several factors can contribute to its onset, including strabismus (crossed eyes), significant differences in refractive errors between the eyes, or eye conditions such as cataracts or ptosis (drooping eyelid). These factors disrupt the brain’s ability to process visual information from both eyes equally, leading to the suppression of signals from the weaker eye.
In short, the earlier a patient can engage in treatment for lazy eye, the better. For this reason, most pediatricians will screen for lazy eyes in their patients, and most parents will seek treatment for children with lazy eyes as soon as possible, especially if it runs in the family. With the right approach, lazy eye patients will see significant improvements in their eyesight and/or the aesthetic appearance of the eyes.
Schedule a Lazy Eye Consultation with the Richens Eye Center
One of the leading eye care providers in Southern Utah and located in two areas, St. George and Mesquite, the Richens Eye Center is ready to answer any questions that you might have about lazy eye and the various treatment approaches to address it. To schedule a consultation, call Richens Eye Center at 435-986-2020.