Lazy Eye Treatment From Shippee Family Eye Care, P.C.
Amblyopia, or a lazy eye, is a medical term used when the vision is less than 20/20 in one or both eyes without any obvious pathologic or structural anomalies. When the nerve roadways between the eyes and the brain are not properly stimulated, it causes vision loss. This will lead to vision changes like blurry vision that cannot be corrected immediately with contacts or glasses. Typically, there are no clear symptoms or signs without having an eye exam but when signs present themselves, they include:
- An eye that wanders inward or outward
- Eyes that appear to not work well together
- Poor depth perception
- Squinting or shutting an eye
- Head tilting
- Abnormal results on vision screening tests
AMBLYOPIA STATISTICS
- Are you wondering how common amblyopia is? The lazy eye is one of the most common causes of visual impairments in children with roughly 2 to 3 per 100 children will be affected. Is it treatable? Yes, and successful treatment in the early childhood phase and stages is important so it doesn’t continue into adulthood. As far as visual impairments among middle-aged adults and even young adults go, amblyopia is a very common cause of one eye or monocular impairments.
LAZY EYE TREATMENT
Never underestimate the importance of early treatment and detection of any medically related concerns especially when it comes to a lazy eye. Once the lazy eye is detected, it is urgent to get a care plan and treatment started in childhood as soon as possible. The connections between a child’s brain, nerves and eyes are still in the formation stage. For the best results, a treatment that starts before the age of 7 leads to the best results. Treatment for amblyopia include:
- Contacts lenses or glasses, generally this is a full-time commitment.
- Bangerter filters: a filter similar to eye patches that are placed on the lens of eyeglasses on the stronger eye side to stimulate the weaker eye
- Eyedrops: a twice a week treatment that stimulates the weaker eye to work by causing blurry vision in the stronger eye.
- Eye patches: patches are worn anywhere from 2 hours up to 6 hours a day and stimulate the weaker eye by covering the stronger eye.
- Surgery: eye muscles can be surgically repaired if the child has one eye that turns to one side or the other. Cataracts or droopy eyelids are other reasons for surgery.
Shippee Family Eye Cary offers the best eye care and has a strong optometry team that proudly serves the Lancaster, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury areas. Educating our clients, investing in our optometrists, clinics, and employees and providing the gold level standard of care to our clients is a top priority. Comprehensive eye exams during childhood are extremely important for the long-term eye health and for the detection of amblyopia and other treatable conditions. Shippee Family Eye Car will be the team you can rely on. An eye doctor on our team will always be compassionate and never rushed.