What is Lazy Eye? From Our Eye Doctor in Lubbock
Lazy eye (amblyopia) is a degenerative, inherited vision problem that occurs, typically, in just one eye. Ideally, the condition is diagnosed early by our trusted eye doctor in Lubbock, because by early school age, a child’s brain may adapt to permanently disregard the weaker eye. Spotting abnormal eye alignment or crossed eyes in an infant is nearly impossible for a parent, that's why an infant or early childhood eye exams from our optometrist in Lubbock are crucial.
How to Prevent Vision Loss from Lazy Eye
Since you may fail to notice lazy eye in your young child, and children themselves often cannot tell parents they’re having trouble seeing, let The VisionCenter of West Texas help by providing a professional eye exam. The American Optometric Association urges all parents to take kids for a complete eye exam before reaching age 3. Known family history of lazy eye (or any eye disease) should prompt parents to bring their child to the optometrist in Lubbock even earlier in life.
Causes of Lazy Eye
- Strabismus/misalignment: One of the most common causes of a lazy eye--in this case, the brain simply tunes out the view from one eye because its poor alignment causes double vision, making that misaligned eye become “lazy”.
- Unequal refractive errors: In this case, eyes are properly aligned, but one is much weaker than the other. (One is very farsighted, nearsighted or astigmatic.) This causes the brain to ignore input from the blurry eye, which becomes ‘lazy” from lack of use.
- Deprivation: This can be caused by a cataract, present at birth, which keeps light from reaching the baby’s retina. Your child’s vision in the unused, "lazy," eye cannot develop normally without early treatment.
Early Amblyopia Treatment from Our Local Lubbock Eye Doctor
Lazy eye treatment at our vision center begins with a comprehensive eye exam for your infant or child to determine whether he or she has a lazy eye and to find the likely causes of amblyopia. Some parents are relieved to find their child has a lazy eye, because the condition is sometimes confused with learning disability--when actually the child has trouble learning only because their vision is impaired. Treatment options for amblyopia include prescription eyeglasses and patching to help strengthen the weaker eye and normalize vision.
Treatment for Adults with Lazy Eye
Older children, teens and even adults who have lived with the lazy eye can still receive amblyopia treatment with vision therapy at our Lubbock optometry clinic. Vision therapy can achieve improved visual acuity (sharpness) and increased contrast sensitivity. Patients may require lazy eye treatment with multiple vision training sessions over a period of several weeks, including eye exercises and visual therapy at our optometrist in Lubbock.
Contact VisionCenter of West Texas for More Information Today!
If you suspect Lazy eye, or if you would like to schedule your child’s first eye examination, contact The VisionCenter of West Texas, your eye doctor in Lubbock TX. Contact us at 806-793-1927 today.