Lazy Eye Treatment Should Start in Childhood
Lazy eye is a common condition affecting children and adults alike, although the condition usually forms in early childhood. It is treatable, but that treatment really needs to start in childhood for the best chances of success. Even if you're an adult with untreated lazy eye, though, you'll want to see an eye doctor to discuss whether anything can still be done. Progressive Eyecare & Eyewear in Indianapolis, IN, has a doctor who will take your blurred vision and double vision reports and verify what's causing them.
What Is Lazy Eye?
Lazy eye is a common name for a condition also known as amblyopia. This is when the vision in one eye (rarely both) doesn't develop correctly, and the affected eye crosses in or drifts outward, independent of the other eye. The reason for this drifting or crossing is that the brain has essentially cut down on what information it expects from the weak eye, making that eye less used in general.
Sometimes the basic cause is muscular, but other times, the visual acuity in each eye can be so different that the brain treats one eye as weaker.
Problems and Solutions for Lazy Eye
Lazy eye is much more than a cosmetic problem with a crossing or drifting eye. That eye can actually lose sight, permanently, if the lazy eye isn't treated. Treatments are dependent on the cause; for example, if the two eyes have vastly different visual acuity, glasses that bring both eyes to 20/20 vision can help a lot. Other times, the stronger eye has to be blocked by a patch so that the brain has to rely on the weaker eye for information. Note that the patch isn't worn all the time, and this is not a treatment you should try on your own without optometrist input.
Occasionally, amblyopia is caused by an external factor, such as a drooping eyelid that blocks vision in one eye. Your brain will try to switch to using only your unblocked eye for information, causing more lazy eye. In this case, surgery on the eyelid could help solve the problem.
An Optometrist Can Help You Combat Lazy Eye
In Indianapolis, IN, Progressive Eyecare & Eyewear has a pediatric optometrist who can evaluate your child's vision and determine the right course of care. Call us at (317) 595-8855 (Indianapolis) or (317) 913-0700 (Fishers) for an appointment.