How do you fix a lazy eye?

Answer 1

Hello,

It's a pity there aren't a few more details. :-)

A lazy eye means some sort of squint, or a tendency to squint, to me. The problem with a squint which develops in childhood, is mostly that the vision in the squinting eye tends to deteriorate. To be more exact, the brain can't fuse the two eye images together into a 3-D picture, like it normally does, so it concentrates on the one picture it's getting from the 'straight' eye, and ignores the picture it's getting from the 'squinting' eye.

Unfortunately this suppression of the image from the squinting eye is often permanent and irreversible, (it's called 'amblyopia,' [pronounced amb - blee --oh'' -pee -a] technically).

For children, parents are advised to patch or occlude the 'straight' eye, forcing the child to use the 'squinting' eye and not suppress its image.

In adult life, squint is sometimes corrected surgically for cosmetic reasons.

Hope this is of some help. Belliger (retired UK GP)

Answer 2

Treatment for a lazy eye (amblyopia) usually involves the patching of the stonger eye in order to force the brain to pay attention to the images that the lazy eye is picking up. With amblyopia, the brain "tunes out" the bad eye, usually due to a strong refractive error or strabismus, and eventually, the vision in the lazy eye is lost. Treatment for a lazy eye must be done at a very young age in order to prevent permanent vision loss. If it is caught in early childhood, before the age of 7 or 8, the eye can be re-trained. After that age however, the damage is already done and is unfortunately, irrepairable. If the amblyopia was caused by strabismus (which is a misalignment of the eyes) surgery is often an option to even out the pull of the muscles in the eyes so that they are even. In young children, this can sometimes take care of the amblyopia because once the eyes are focusing together on objects the brain can process the images from both eyes, instead of ignoring one. In adulthood, strabismus can be taken care of by surgery also, but any damage to the vision in the eyes will not be restored. The surgery will realign the eyes, but not restore the vision.

Answer 3

Depends on why it is lazy, how old you are and whether you have had previous therapy.

If lazy due to an eye turn, first you will need surgery to correct the eye turn. If lazy due to uncorrected refractive error, first you will need to get glasses.

Depending upon your age and your response to the first therapy, you may need to patch the other eye for a few hours a day or do vision therapy.

Ask your eye doctor what is needed for your particular case.

Answer 4

Normally the eye doctor gives you a patch to wear over the good eye. This makes the lazy eye work.

Answer 5

I used to have the same problem but it only acted up when my eye muscles were tired. My doctor recommended using an eye patch to rest my eye muscles and allow them to strengthen. There may actually be a laser surgery or some other help for it now though, its been a long time since I've had trouble. Good luck.

Answer 6

My boyfriend had a lazy eye when he was a little boy and he had to wear glasses to correct it, he no longer has a lazy eye and doesn't wear glasses any more. My cousins daughter has a lazy eye and she has to wear glasses permanently if she takes her glasses off her eye goes crossed. I guess it depends on how bad your lazy eye is in order to correct it. Your best option is to go see the eye doctor.

Answer 7

besides surgery they will put a patch over the good eye so you only use the lazy eye. it can help to strenthen the muscle in behind to help staighten it out.

Answer 8

eye drops,or wash your face

Answer 9

the see clearly method...it really works (huh, I hear)