Amblyopia (more commonly known as \u201clazy eye\u201d) is a vision impairment that\u2019s caused by abnormal vision development during early childhood. It usually occurs in one eye, but in rare cases, it can affect both eyes. The term \u201clazy eye\u201d doesn\u2019t actually imply laziness\u2014it simply means that one eye isn\u2019t working the way it should be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this helpful guide, we\u2019ll look at the causes and signs of a lazy eye, how it can affect vision, and how it can be treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, a lazy eye might be easy to catch just by looking at a child\u2019s eyes. But there are also times when a child\u2019s behaviors might be the tip-off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some common symptoms of lazy eye:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In children, doctors may be able to detect lazy eye with routine vision screening. These screenings commonly happen as part of a child\u2019s regular check-ups<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you suspect your child might have a lazy eye, visit your eye doctor<\/a> for an exam and possible diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lazy eye happens when something (like an underlying eye condition<\/a>) causes the brain to pay more attention to one eye than the other. This happens during the first 8\u201310 years of life (the critical period of visual development). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, the brain starts ignoring the weaker eye to avoid confusion. This can cause the vision in that eye to worsen. In severe cases, certain types of lazy eye can lead to vision loss if left untreated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So what causes the abnormal nerve behavior in the first place? There are three general types of lazy eye based on the causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Refractive <\/strong>Amblyopia<\/strong>:<\/strong> Refractive errors like nearsightedness (myopia<\/a>), farsightedness (hyperopia<\/a>), and astigmatism<\/a> are common eye issues. Refractive amblyopia can happen when one eye has a refractive vision issue that is far worse than the other eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, one eye may be nearsighted while the other is farsighted. Or one eye might have severe astigmatism while the other doesn\u2019t. The brain tends to favor the \u201cbetter\u201d eye, and vision worsens in the other eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strabismic <\/strong>Amblyopia<\/strong> (Muscle Imbalance): <\/strong>Strabismus may be referred to as crossed eyes. It\u2019s when the eyes aren\u2019t aligned, and one eye points in a different direction than the other. With strabismic amblyopia (say that ten times fast), the brain \u201ctunes out\u201d the misaligned eye and vision in that eye declines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deprivation <\/strong>Amblyopia<\/strong>: <\/strong>With deprivation amblyopia, one eye is deprived<\/em> of visual information because something is blocking it. This can make vision in that eye unclear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some examples of conditions that can cause this sort of deprivation or blocking of visual information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lazy eye or amblyopia often occurs in young children. It\u2019s the most common cause of childhood vision problems\u2014up to 3% of children have lazy eye<\/a>. But early diagnosis and treatment go a long way in correcting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The risk of lazy eye increases with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Treatment for a lazy eye will depend on its cause and might involve several methods, either at once or in sequence. Some possible ways to treat lazy eye are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have questions about lazy eye, you can reach out to your eye doctor. The earlier you get treatment for lazy eye, the better the chances for complete correction. Tackling amblyopia early can also help prevent vision loss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Amblyopia (more commonly known as \u201clazy eye\u201d) is a vision impairment that\u2019s caused by abnormal vision development during early childhood. It usually occurs in one eye, but in rare cases, it can affect both eyes. The term \u201clazy eye\u201d doesn\u2019t actually imply laziness\u2014it simply means that one eye isn\u2019t working the way it should be. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":1579,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eye-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Causes a Lazy Eye?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Types of Lazy Eye<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Who Gets Lazy Eye?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Lazy Eye Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Early Treatment Is Key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n