How To Correct A Lazy Eye

Lazy Eye Glasses? Lazy Eye Patches? What Works Best? 

The goal of this article is providing information on how to correct a lazy eye, including information on lazy eye glasses, lazy eye patches, lazy eye lasik surgery and other treatment options.  Before looking at options for how to correct lazy eye, let's first describe what lazy eye is. 

Lazy eye is an eye problem characterized by poor coordination between the eye and the brain. Generally, this eye problem begins in childhood. It causes the brain to prefer one eye over the other. It is known medically as amblyopia. Uncorrected lazy eye causes vision problems in an eye that otherwise seems normal. Lazy eye usually only affects one eye but it is possible to be amblyopic in both.

Studies estimate that about one to five percent of the population suffer from lazy eye. It is estimated that three percent of children under six have some form. Many people who are afflicted by lazy eye, especially those with a mild case, aren’t even aware they have it until they are tested at later ages. This is true because vision in their stronger eye is normal.

Comprehensive vision evaluations by a trained and qualified vision professional are a smart idea, even for infants and pre-schoolers. Recent medical research has shown that lazy eye can be successfully corrected up to the age of 17. As the patient grows older however, it is more difficult to correct a lazy eye. Improvements are possible at any age with proper treatment, but early detection of lazy eye still offers the best chance of a positive outcome.

Lazy eye patches Special lazy eye patches may be effective in treating amblyopia. Consulting your child’s eye doctor in selecting your child's lazy eye patch is crucuial since some patches may not be appropriate for amblyopia treatment. Generally speaking, lazy eye patches are available in two types: adhesive and non-adhesive. 

Several brands of adhesive lazy eye patches can be found over-the-counter in pharmacies and online. There are also a variety of alternatives to adhesive patches available. Some are are made of cloth, while others are eyeglass lens occluders. An occluder is a device designed to temporarily block light to one eye.

For more information on these products, click on lazy eye patches.

Lazy eye glasses Many parents of young children initially think their eye doctor can prescribe lazy eye glasses that will help treat their child. But as of this writing, there are no lazy eye glasses that have been proven effective. The same is true for contact lenses.  Glasses and contact lenses don't work because lazy eye is a dysfunction of the brain. The brain blocks transmission of images from one eye. The eye is, in effect, turned off. Therefore, glasses don't work in curing lazy eye.  

Lazy eye lasik surgery It is a common misconception that lasik eye surgery can be a treatment for lazy eye. This is not the case. Lasik eye surgery will not work for lazy eye for the same reason glasses are ineffective: The brain doesn't recognize images coming from the amblyopic eye. Correcting acuity, the main benefit of lasik surgery, doesn not help. In other words, there is no such procedure as lazy eye lasik surgery.

Many people think someone who has a crossed or turned eye has lazy eye. However, “crossed eyes” is actually a different eye condition known as strabismus.

Because of this misunderstanding, many people describe someone who has “crossed eyes” as having a lazy eye.

The most important means for determining if someone has lazy eye or amblyopia is a series of special visual acuity tests. The “20/20 letter charts” currently used by schools, pediatricians and eye doctors are generally not sufficient for diagnosing lazy eye.