Amblyopia, commonly known as "lazy eye", means children's vision does not meet their peers’ even when they wear prescription glasses.

Common causes of amblyopia

• Strabismus: The eye with strabismus deviates from the visual axis. To avoid double vision (diplopia), the brain automatically ignores images of the deviating eye, which inhibits its visual development.

  
  

  ▲ Exotropia
  
  
• Refractive errors: Uncorrected farsightedness, myopia and astigmatism result in prolonged lack of clear visual stimulation to the brain. Or, if the two eyes have big difference in refractive power, the brain tends to rely on the stronger eye, hindering the development of the other eye.
• Eye diseases: Such as congenital cataracts and drooping eyelids, where images are not transmitted to the retina clearly.

How is amblyopia treated?

Amblyopia requires timely treatment, preferably before eight years old. Otherwise, it may cause long-term vision loss and affect stereopsis and appearance. Parents should pay attention to their children’s eyesight and arrange regular check-up to detect problems early. Common treatments include:

• Surgery: In cases of eye diseases, surgery aims to redirect light to reach the retina correctly to form clear images and stimulate visual development.
• Wear glasses with appropriate prescription to correct refractive error.
• Occlusion therapy: Follow the instructions of ophthalmologists and orthoptists to cover the “good eye”, so the child must use the lazy eye which stimulates its development and improves its vision.

── Orthoptics