Lazy Eye at Oxford Optometry
Caring for your eyes and vision is an essential part of maintaining your ability to see clearly. A key problem that may arise in a loved one or in your eyes is amblyopia or a lazy eye. At Oxford Optometry, we understand the challenges of keeping your eyes healthy and we provide the vision care you need to address the underlying problems.
What is a Lazy Eye?
A lazy eye is a childhood condition that impacts your ability to see clearly. It usually occurs early in a child's visual development due to an imbalance in the way the eyes focus. One eye focuses better than the other eye, which results in your brain ignoring the blurred image that comes from the eye with less focus.
Over time, your eyes or a child's eyes will worsen as the brain ignores signals from the weaker eye. The problem may also come with complications, like astigmatism in the weaker eye or an eye that turns inward or outward.
Symptoms of Amblyopia or Lazy Eye
The symptoms of a lazy eye are not always obvious to an outside observer. You may not notice a loved one's problem until after he or she describes the difficulty or notices the situation. Proper eye care plays an essential role in catching the problem through regular eye exams at Oxford Optometry.
Common symptoms that may occur in children or adults with the condition include:
- Strabismus, or an eye that turns inward or outward
- Blurred vision in one eye
- Poor perception of depth, which may result in clumsiness or regular accidents
- Squinting
- Shutting one eye to see clearly
- Tilting the head to one side
- Oddities during visual exams
The symptoms you or a loved one may experience vary and some individuals do not show clear outward signs of the problem. By seeking regular vision care from an optometrist, you catch the problem at an early age and obtain proper treatment.
Treatments from an Optometrist
Treatments from an optometrist for the eye condition differ based on the cause of the problem. An eye doctor starts with a vision exam to identify the underlying problem that causes blurred vision in the weaker eye. The problem may stem from astigmatism, farsightedness, nearsightedness or other conditions in the eyes.
After clarifying the cause of your blurred vision in one eye, we treat the underlying concern. For example, you may wear glasses to correct the blurry vision or we use contact lenses to address the underlying challenge with your eye's ability to focus.
When you see clearly in both eyes, we then take measures to use your weaker eye. In most cases, a child or you wear a patch over the stronger eye. The patch prevents your brain from using the clear image and forces your weaker eye to focus on different images. Initially, you or a loved one may have difficulty seeing clearly; however, your vision improves over time. You may wear the patch for a few weeks to a few months to strengthen the weaker eye.
Call Oxford Optometry Today to Learn More!
Treating a lazy eye starts with clarifying the cause of your visual concerns and then developing a plan to correct the underlying concerns. To learn more about addressing problems with your vision or to set up an appointment in Oxford Optometry, call 519-421-3303 today.