Lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, is a health condition characterized by poor vision. Research shows that this health condition affects 3 out of every 100 children, and people with this condition have one stronger eye than the other. The reason is that the weaker eye does not communicate well with the central nervous system.
Nerves that create communication pathways between the brain and eyes develop in childhood. That’s why lazy eye treatment is more effective in younger children or those below the age of seven. In today’s article, we will talk about several treatment options for lazy eye. Read on!
Lazy Eye Treatment Options
A child who uses his weaker eye can quickly correct amblyopia. It is a common treatment option for children that involves putting a path over the stronger eye. However, there are several other treatment options to correct amblyopia, such as:
Eye Glasses or Contact Lenses
Differing eye vision is one of the leading causes of lazy eye. For instance, one eye suffers from myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness), leading to a different vision sharpness between the eyes. The condition is known as refractive amblyopia, which can be treated with corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Bangerter Filter
People who don’t feel comfortable wearing eyepatches can use Bangerter filters, which are opaque coverings fitted inside the eyeglass lens. Health professionals recommend wearing a Bangerter filter over the stronger eye. You must wear the filters full time, and a qualified ophthalmologist or optometrist can modify the opaqueness and density over time to improve your symptoms.
Eye Drops
Eye Drops are an effective treatment option to correct amblyopia. You can use medicated eye drops to blur your vision in the stronger, letting your lazy eye work harder. That way, you can balance the vision between each eye.
The most common medication used to correct amblyopia is atropine. The medication dilates your eye’s pupil, which eventually leads to blurry vision. Depending on your condition, you may use it several times a day to blur your dominant eye vision.
Exercises
Eye exercises are a natural treatment option for correcting your lazy eye. A qualified ophthalmologist or optometrist prescribes eye exercises as part of the overall treatment plan. Eye exercises can help correct amblyopia, strabismus, convergence insufficiency, and other eye conditions. Some of the best eye exercises that you can perform at home are:
- Pencil pushups treatment
- Coloring within the lines
- Brock string exercise
- Playing video games dichoptically
Surgery
Surgery for amblyopia involves adjusting the eye’s muscle length. It is an effective option for people with lazy eye caused by cataracts, squint, and a droopy eyelid. Research highlights that surgical procedures for amblyopia require additional methods, including eye patching to balance vision between two eyes.
The success rates of surgery vary from individual to individual. However, it typically ranges between 30 and 80%. Your insurance policy, geographic location, the intensity of the condition, and health clinic are a few factors determining the cost of this type of surgery. However, reports show that the average cost of lazy eye surgery is between $3,000 and $6,000.