Sign in or 
| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 28 2008, 5:20 PM EDT (current) | lazy-eye | 289 words added |
| Jul 28 2008, 5:15 PM EDT | lazy-eye |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
Can Lazy Eye Be Prevented?
Wow, this is a great question. And while I am not a doctor, I would say the answer would be “sometimes.” Amblyopia, often called lazy eye, can be treated with a high level of success and if treated early enough can prevent blindness in the weak eye.
If you suspect your child might have amblyopia, you should seek the advice of your ophthalmologist (eye doctor) as soon as possible. If your child does have amblyopia the treatment will likely be eye patch therapy or eye drops (atropine) to obstruct or blur vision in the strong eye thereby forcing your child to use his or her weak eye with the goal of strengthening the weak eye.
The original question was whether lazy eye could be prevented. As far as I am aware the single instance where it can be prevented is in the case of a cross eyed child. Being cross eyed is known as strabismus and is one of the most common eye problems in children. One of the most successful treatments for strabismus is eye surgery (actually eye muscle surgery). However, if left untreated, strabismus can also lead to amblyopia as the brain begins to ignore the weak image from the eye which wanders away from the intended line of sight.
Our child was in this situation and we are thankful that his strabismus was also treated in tandem with eye patch therapy in order to prevent amblyopia. Today he is healthy and has well aligned eyes with no signs of amblyopia. If this topic interests you please consider reading our documented story (available at: www.ChildhoodStrabismus.com, perhaps you’ll find it to be one of the greatest inspirational stories you’ll ever read.
Wow, this is a great question. And while I am not a doctor, I would say the answer would be “sometimes.” Amblyopia, often called lazy eye, can be treated with a high level of success and if treated early enough can prevent blindness in the weak eye.
If you suspect your child might have amblyopia, you should seek the advice of your ophthalmologist (eye doctor) as soon as possible. If your child does have amblyopia the treatment will likely be eye patch therapy or eye drops (atropine) to obstruct or blur vision in the strong eye thereby forcing your child to use his or her weak eye with the goal of strengthening the weak eye.
The original question was whether lazy eye could be prevented. As far as I am aware the single instance where it can be prevented is in the case of a cross eyed child. Being cross eyed is known as strabismus and is one of the most common eye problems in children. One of the most successful treatments for strabismus is eye surgery (actually eye muscle surgery). However, if left untreated, strabismus can also lead to amblyopia as the brain begins to ignore the weak image from the eye which wanders away from the intended line of sight.
Our child was in this situation and we are thankful that his strabismus was also treated in tandem with eye patch therapy in order to prevent amblyopia. Today he is healthy and has well aligned eyes with no signs of amblyopia. If this topic interests you please consider reading our documented story (available at: www.ChildhoodStrabismus.com, perhaps you’ll find it to be one of the greatest inspirational stories you’ll ever read.
