Lazy Eye and Eye Turns: Early Detection and Treatment Strategies for Amblyopia and Strabismus

Your child's vision is essential for their social and academic success. As a parent, it is important to recognize any potential vision problems early in order to ensure proper treatment and prevent long-term issues. Two common pediatric vision problems are lazy eye (amblyopia) and eye turns (strabismus). In this blog post, we will discuss early detection and treatment strategies for these conditions. Trust Ottawa Valley Vision's expertise in pediatric eye care to provide effective treatment for your child.

Understanding Lazy Eye (Amblyopia) and Eye Turns (Strabismus)

What is Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)?

Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a developmental vision problem where one eye experiences reduced vision due to a lack of coordination between the brain and the affected eye. This often results in the brain ignoring input from the weaker eye, leading to poor visual development. In addition to reduced visual clarity, individuals with amblyopia often also have other deficits in visual skills including reduced eye tracking, eye teaming and poor 3D vision. While it used to be believed that amblyopia could only be treated if it was diagnosed before the age of seven years old, research now indicates that amblyopia can be effectively treated at any age. Furthermore, as the medical community has come to understand that amblyopia is a problem with eye teaming in the brain, treatment has shifted away from traditional patching and more towards treating the underlying eye teaming deficits through vision therapy.

What is Eye Turn (Strabismus)?

Eye turns, or strabismus, is a condition where the eyes are misaligned and do not work together as a team. This misalignment can be constant or intermittent and can cause double vision, poor depth perception, and difficulty focusing on objects.

Early Detection of Lazy Eye and Eye Turns

Regular pediatric eye exams are crucial for early detection of lazy eye and eye turns. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that children have their first eye exam between six and nine months of age, followed by annual exams from the ages of two to nineteen years old.

Parents should also be aware of any signs that may indicate a potential vision problem. Some common signs of lazy eye and eye turns in children include:

1. Squinting or closing one eye to see better

2. Tilting or turning the head to look at objects

3. Frequent eye rubbing or blinking

4. Short attention span for close-up tasks, such as reading or coloring

5. Difficulty with coordination or balance

If you notice any of these signs in your child, it is essential to schedule a comprehensive eye exam as soon as possible.

Treatment Strategies for Lazy Eye and Eye Turns

1. Glasses and Vision Therapy

Corrective lenses can help to improve visual acuity and alignment in children with lazy eye or eye turns. In addition to glasses, vision therapy may be recommended to help train the eyes to work together and teach the brain how to use the amblyopic eye more effectively. Vision therapy is a customized, non-surgical treatment program that involves specialized exercises, activities, and equipment designed to improve visual skills and coordination.

2. Patching and Atropine Eye Drops

Patching is a common treatment for lazy eye that involves placing a patch over the stronger eye to force the weaker eye to work harder and develop better vision. Atropine eye drops can also be used to temporarily blur the vision in the stronger eye, encouraging the weaker eye to become more active. These types of therapies are considered "penalization therapies." However, as research evidence grows to support a binocular approach to amblyopia, patching and atropine therapy are being used less often in favour of vision therapy, which is a gentler approach that addresses amblyopia at the root cause of the problem.

3. Surgery

In some cases, surgical intervention may be recommended to correct eye turns if non-surgical treatments have not been successful. The goal of surgery is to improve the alignment of the eyes and restore normal binocular vision.

At Ottawa Valley Vision, our pediatric optometrists are passionate about early detection and treatment of lazy eye and eye turns in children. Our experienced eye doctors and staff are committed to providing comprehensive vision care for your whole family, using the latest tools and technologies to assess and treat individuals at any stage of life.

Early detection and treatment are crucial for the successful management of lazy eye and eye turns in children. Trust the expertise of Ottawa Valley Vision to provide comprehensive and effective pediatric eye care for your child. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!