Lazy Eye

It is a condition in which one eye has poorer vision than the other. It usually develops in childhood and can be permanent if left untreated. Lazy eye, may be caused by the incompatible work of the eye muscles, strabismus or refractive errors. Treatment can be done with glasses, occlusion therapy or exercises. Early diagnosis increases the success of the treatment. It is not only related to the eye, but also to the brain development.

What are the symptoms of lazy eye?

One eye sees less clearly than the other, and this difference is usually detected during a child's routine eye exam. Eye misalignment (strabismus) can be a common symptom; one eye is aligned correctly while the other eye looks in a different direction. Lazy eye Individuals with this disorder may have poor depth perception, which can make distance estimation difficult.

The affected eye may tire more easily during visual tasks. Some children may want to cover the weaker eye and use the other eye to see more clearly. There may be a tendency to tilt the head or turn it to the side to see clearly. Early diagnosis is important because treatment can be more effective, especially in early childhood.

What Causes Lazy Eye?

If the eyes are not parallel, the brain cannot process the images from both eyes at the same time. In this case, the brain ignores the image from one eye and lazy eye may develop in that eye. When there are refractive errors such as myopia or hyperopia in the eyes, there is a difference in focus between the two eyes. The eye that does not see clearly may become lazy because the brain prefers the image from the dominant eye. Congenital or acquired cataracts create blur in the front of the eye, preventing the image from being clear. In this case, the brain may not want to process the blurry image and lazy eye may occur.

The eye not being fully opened due to drooping eyelids can cause vision problems in the eye. Restriction of the visual field can lead to the development of laziness. Inadequate stimulation of the visual ability in early childhood causes. The risk may increase in premature babies because their vision development is not fully completed. The risk of developing this condition may also be higher in children of individuals with this condition in the family. Early detection and treatment of these causes, lazy eye is critical to correcting the problem.

How Is Lazy Eye Diagnosed?

The eye doctor measures how well a child or adult sees by testing each eye separately. Visual acuity testing is important at this stage. If one eye sees less clearly than the other, this lazy eye It can be an indicator. The doctor checks how the eyes work together and their ability to focus. Light reflexes may be tested to see if the eyes are crossed (strabismus). A refraction test determines the refractive errors in the eyes.

It is checked whether there are vision problems such as myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism. Such defects can cause lazy eye. Various tests are performed to check the mobility and harmony of the eye muscles. Problems such as strabismus can also cause lazy eye, so these tests analyze the condition of the muscles. Early diagnosis is very important for the success of the treatment process. Regular eye checks are important, especially in children. Checks lazy eye If there is, it can help detect it early.

How to Treat Lazy Eye?

By patching the healthy eye, the lazy eye is made to work more. In this way, the vision ability of the weak eye is improved. It is usually applied for a few hours a day. Lazy eye Glasses are given to correct the problems that cause laziness. The use of glasses can correct strabismus or refractive errors that cause laziness. Atropine drops are applied to the healthy eye to temporarily blur this eye.

This method allows the lazy eye to work more. Special exercises can be done to strengthen the eye muscles. These exercises help to eliminate laziness. In some cases, surgical intervention may be required. Especially if there is a structural problem such as strabismus, surgical procedures can be performed. The duration and methods of treatment depend on the patient's age and lazy eye may vary depending on the severity. The earlier the treatment starts, the higher the success rate.