Understanding Amblyopia: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Amblyopia

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

Additional names

This group contains additional names: - Lazy Eye

General

Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is a condition in which the brain favors one eye and neglects the other. The condition usually occurs in children and is usually a result of poor vision in one eye. Poor vision can be caused by various reasons including malalignment of the eyes, clouding of the lens (cataract), myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), trauma and more. As a result, the brain ignores the input coming from the weak eye and leads to even worse vision in that eye. Amblyopia is the most common cause of decreased vision in one eye among children and young adults. If the condition is untreated, irreversible vision loss may occur.

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Signs & symptoms

Amblyopia is often hard to detect until substantial vision loss is present. This is why it is so important to visit the ophthalmologist at an early age. The American Optometric Association recommends that children have eye exams when they are 6 months old and 3 years old. Early warning signs include double vision, being cross eyed (strabismus), squinting, a tendency to bump into objects, poor depth perception and an eye that wanders inward or outward.

Diagnosis

Amblyopia can be detected by a standard eye exam performed by an ophthalmologist. During the exam, the doctor will assess vision in both eyes. Early detection improves treatment success.

Treatment

The treatment depends on the severity of the condition and the cause of the poor vision in the weak eye. Sometimes, glasses are a sufficient treatment. If the cause is clouding of the lens, cataract surgery may be needed. In many cases, treatments that encourage the child to use the weaker eye are used. This is usually done by using a patch over the strong eyes for a few hours a day.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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