Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)

What is a Amblyopia?

A lazy eye, also known as ‘Amblyopia’ is when the vision in one eye doesn’t develop properly in childhood. This means that your child can see less clearly out of one eye and relies more on the other, 'better seeing' eye.

What causes Amblyopia?

There are several causes for amblyopia, such as

• A Squint (an inwards or outwards turn in one eye)
• A need for glasses where the lens in one eye is stronger than the other.
• A droopy eyelid
• A childhood cataract

Treating Amblyopia

If glasses are needed, they must be worn all the time. It maybe that wearing glasses alone will not be enough to improve the vision in the lazy eye. In this case, there are a couple of treatment options; an eye patch or an eye drop called Atropine can be used to encourage the use of the lazy eye.

Your Ophthalmologist will discuss the most appropriate treatment option with you during your appointment at Western Sydney Eye Doctors