Vision Therapy for Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) at Visionary Eye Care

At Visionary Eye Care, we have an experienced and skilled North Tampa optometrist team that can help you and your children experience optimal eyesight at any age. Among our younger patients, amblyopia is one of the more frequent conditions we diagnose and treat.

What is Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)?

Commonly known as lazy eye, amblyopia is a neurologically-based vision disorder that occurs when the brain is not able to properly process the visual information coming in from one eye (though in some cases both eyes can be affected). Lazy eye is usually found in young children, who may begin complaining of blurry vision or trouble seeing. A diagnosis can be made during a comprehensive eye exam.

Lazy Eye Causes

Sometimes, it's not entirely clear what is causing your child's amblyopia. Strabismus (eye turn) or cataracts can sometimes be a precipitating factor. In other cases, one eye may simply be stronger than the other and will essentially dominate the visual information being sent to the brain. The brain will "ignore" the weaker eye, which can cause it to worsen and become "lazier" over time. Genetics may also play a role.

Amblyopia Treatment with Our Optometrists and Vision Therapy Team

We strongly encourage all parents to bring their children in for a routine eye exam to ensure their vision is developing appropriately. We recommend bringing your child in for an eye exam at 6 months, age 3, and then during the summer before 1st grade. If your child is diagnosed with amblyopia, we can help develop a treatment plan so your child can learn how to see more clearly by using both eyes together.  Our optometrists may prescribe lenses to correct co-occurring refractive errors, though these aren't usually enough to resolve this problem on their own. Remember: the main cause of amblyopia is a processing error in the brain, not necessarily a problem with the eye itself.

Our typical non-surgical amblyopia treatment includes:

• Activities involving eye-hand coordination and head-eye coordination
• Covering up the "good" eye with a patch, thus "forcing" the brain to use and strengthen the weaker lazy eye (a similar effect can be achieved with vision-blurring eye drops in the good eye).
• Visual focusing drills to improve coordination and function of both eyes and the brain

Meet with Our Optometrist For Amblyopia Treatment Today

Do you believe your child is struggling with amblyopia, or, lazy eye? Dr. Michael Cook is a Behavioral Optometrist, specializing in such binocular vision dysfunctions as amblyopia, among others. He is board certified through the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (see COVD.org). After an in-depth binocular vision evaluation, he may prescribe a program of vision therapy as a means to treat amblyopia in you or your child.   

Call Visionary Eye Care in Lutz at (813) 425-9596 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cook today. We're happy to provide a full range of comprehensive vision and eye care services for your whole family.