Amblyopia

Diseases

Quick Links

Amblyopia

Amblyopia (also called as lazy eye) is a type of poor vision that happens in one of the eyes. It develops when there’s a breakdown in the co-ordination between the brain and the eye and the brain can’t recognize the sight from one of the eyes. Over time, the brain relies more and more on the other, stronger eye — while vision in the weaker eye gets worse.

It’s called “lazy eye” because the stronger eye works better. But people with amblyopia are not lazy, and they can’t control the way their eyes work.

Amblyopia starts in childhood, and it’s the most common cause of vision loss in kids. Up to 3 out of 100 children have it. The good news is that early treatment works well and usually prevents long-term vision problems.

Read More

Symptoms of amblyopia can be hard to notice. Kids with amblyopia may have poor depth perception — they have trouble telling how near or far something is. Parents may also notice signs that their child is struggling to see clearly, like:

  • Squinting
  • Shutting 1 eye
  • Tilting their head

In many cases, parents don’t know their child has amblyopia until a doctor diagnoses it during an eye exam. That’s why it’s important for all kids to get a vision screening at least once between 3 years to 5 years.

Some kids are born with amblyopia and others develop it later in childhood. The chances of having amblyopia are higher in kids who:

  • Were born early (premature)
  • Were smaller than average at birth
  • Have a family history of amblyopia, childhood cataracts, or other eye conditions
  • Have developmental disabilities

In many cases, the cause of amblyopia is unknown. But sometimes, a different vision problem can lead to amblyopia.

Amblyopia

Normally, the brain uses nerve signals from both eyes to see. But if an eye condition makes vision in one of the eye worse, the brain may try to work around it. It starts to “turn off” signals from the weaker eye and rely only on the stronger eye.

Some eye conditions that can lead to amblyopia are:

  • Refractive errors - These include common vision problems like near-sightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Normally, these problems are easy to fix with glasses or contacts. But if they’re not treated, the brain may start to rely more on the eye with stronger vision.
  • Strabismus - Usually, the eyes move together as a pair. But in kids with strabismus, the eyes don’t line up. One eye might drift in, out, up, or down.
  • Cataract - This causes cloudiness in the lens of the eye, making things look blurry. While most cataracts happen in older people, babies and children can also develop cataracts.

It’s important to start treating children with amblyopia early — the sooner the better. Kids who grow up without treatment may have lifelong vision problems. Amblyopia treatment is usually less effective in adults than in children.