Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)

What Is Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)?

Lazy eye is when the vision in one of your eyes doesn’t develop the way it should, resulting in blurred vision in that eye. Doctors also call the condition amblyopia. Without treatment, your brain will learn to ignore the image that comes from the weaker eye and it will get "lazy" from lack of use.

This could cause permanent vision problems. Amblyopia (pronounced am-blee-oh-pee-a) is the main cause of vision loss in children. It affects 2%-4% of children worldwide.

Fortunately, the condition is very treatable.

Amblyopia vs. Strabismus

A lot of people confuse the two conditions but they're quite different.

Strabismus is commonly known as crossed eyes. This means your eyes point in different directions, particularly when you're tired or stressed. It usually starts in childhood. Sometimes, children who have it will squint in bright sunlight. Because the eyes are looking in two different directions, the brain finds it hard to combine the images from both eyes into one 3D image.

There are different types of strabismus. In some types, the eyes turn in, while in others, they turn out, upward, or downward. Strabismus can lead to amblyopia if untreated. About 50% of children with strabismus get some type of vision loss due to amblyopia.

It can be easy to spot strabismus, while amblyopia is not so easy for a layperson to see. In either case, you'll need a vision test for confirmation.

You don't grow out of strabismus. It has to be treated, usually by surgery, which is followed by vision therapy to train the eyes to work together.

Types of Amblyopia

The main types of amblyopia are refractive, strabismic, visual deprivation, and occlusion.

Refractive amblyopia

This happens when vision problems such as farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia), or astigmatism (unusually shaped cornea or lens) aren't corrected, leading to problems seeing. You're more likely to get these problems with farsightedness or astigmatism than with nearsightedness. That's because if you're nearsighted, you can focus clearly on nearby objects. Sometimes, there's a big difference between the sight in each eye.