How is Lazy Eye Treated?

Optical Correction

In order to achieve optimal vision, it is important that each eye has the appropriate optical correction to help achieve clear vision. Amblyopia is most commonly caused by a very high optical prescription in either one eye or both eyes and therefore it’s crucial that the patient receives an accurate prescription for glasses.

Patching

Patching used to be the main method for treating amblyopia, however now we are aware of certain disadvantages that come with this technique and therefore it is used in moderation and along with vision therapy. The patching method is when we close the strong eye, forcing the lazy eye to strengthen and stop depending on the good eye. Patching can be achieved using an eye patch or using a prescription eye drop called atropine which blurs the vision of the strong eye. The main challenges that patching presents will be discussed below and they are compliance and preventing the eyes from working together as a team.

• Compliance: Compliance is an issue that often needs to be dealt with when it comes to patching. It’s important to understand a child’s resistance as we close up their good eye which they solely depend on for clear vision and then we expect them to perform tasks using the weak eye with poor vision. It is no surprise if the child does not want to comply. Due to the difficulty with compliance other methods of occlusion, or blurring the stronger eye, are sometimes used. These include virtual reality based games and activities and prescription eye drops.
• Teamwork of the Eyes: Additionally, the purpose of treating a lazy eye is to strengthen and promote the teamwork of both eyes together, known as binocular vision. Ironically, it has been noted that patching forces the situation where the patient completely relies on only one eye as we have closed off the strong eye. When the patching treatment has been completed, there are patients who struggle to learn how to use both eyes together.

Understanding the challenges that patching presents, brings us to the advantages that vision therapy has to offer. Patching can be very effective, especially when it’s combined with vision therapy.