Lazy Eye Treatment At Spectrum Eye Physicians
Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is an eye condition that affects the eyesight of children due to improper coordination of the brain and eye. Children with lazy eye tends to have an eye that looks normal, but is not used normally by the brain.
Who Is At Risk For a Amblyopia?
Certain factors can increase your child’s risk of being born with a lazy eye or developing one shortly after birth. These include:
- Premature birth
- Low birth weight
- A family history of lazy eye
- Developmental disabilities
What Are the Symptoms Of Lazy Eye?
Most of the symptoms associated with amblyopia are very noticeable and easy to detect. They include:
- One eye that wanders inward or outward
- Eyes that don’t appear to be working together
- Squinting or shutting the affected eye
- Tilting the head when trying to read or do close-up work
- Poor depth perception
- Abnormal visual screening tests
How Is Amblyopia Diagnosed?
If you suspect that your child has a lazy eye, your eye doctor can perform an eye exam that can check your child’s eye health, wandering eye, and vision. A lighted magnifying device can be used to detect cataracts if your child is very young and cannot speak yet. Your eye doctor may use pictures or letters, and take turns covering each eye to assess your child’s vision. Other tests may be conducted to check if your child can fix his or her gaze on an object and follow it.
How Is Lazy Eye Treated?
The best chance of your child being treated successfully for a lazy eye is early diagnosis. The treatment that your eye doctor chooses would depend on the severity of your child’s condition. Your eye doctor may recommend the following options:
- Eyeglasses and Contacts: Corrective eyewear can help correct your child’s refractive error.
- Eye Patches: Your eye doctor may recommend that your child wears an eye patch over the stronger eye. This will force the weak eye to work harder, which can treat the problem.
- Bangerter filter: If your child won’t keep his or her eye patch on, a special filter called a Bangerter filter can be placed in his or her glasses. It works in the same way as an eye patch.
- Isopto Atropine: These eyedrops will temporarily blur the vision in your child’s good eye, causing the weaker eye to work harder.
- Surgery: Surgery is only necessary for severe conditions where droopy eyelids or cataracts are present. Surgery can also straighten a wandering eye.
Contact Spectrum Eye Physicians Today!
Schedule your appointment online or call us at 408-884-2215. No matter which of our locations you visit, you will receive the latest in eye care technology from friendly eye doctors and staff committed to serving you.
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