When someone has a lazy eye, the brain favors the stronger of the two eyes. In most cases of lazy eye, known medically as amblyopia, one eye appears to be lazy, while the other eye dominates and is used for good vision, but there are rare cases where both eyes can be affected.
What causes a lazy eye?
The term lazy eye is misleading, because it's not actually the eye that's the problem. Studies have shown that amblyopia is caused by the brain's connection with the eye that is faulty. Here are three possible causes.
- Either the eye was obstructed early on, causing it not to develop correctly, an example is droopy eyelid or bell's palsy
- Nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism that usually is a lot worse in one eye than the other
- An eye turn, or strabismus, where the eye one or both eyes turns in or out causing misalignment.
Why is it important to treat lazy eye at a young age?
Amblyopia or lazy eye is the most common cause of vision loss in children and usually develops between infancy and 7 years of age. While Amblyopia can be treated at any age, it is easier to treat at a younger age. In the early stages of your life, the eye doesn't know how to communicate well with the brain, so they don't synchronize very well. Mediation of this requires strengthening the link between the brain and the eye, or building new ones. As a result of research, we've learned that neuroplasticity, or the ability to change the neurons in your brain that control your vision, is present throughout your life. Those connections become harder to change or build as you age. It's vital that anyone with a lazy eye gets checked as early as possible. It is usually much easier to fix or enhance the vision of a lazy eye when it is treated early. In conclusion, neuroplasticity is always present, but it's important to treat it early because when you are young, there is more potential to build and change your neuroplasticity.
What role does vision therapy play in treating a lazy eye?
The goal of vision therapy is to use a treatment approach that combines a variety of methods in order to maximize the benefits of each. The vision therapy plan is customized to the individual patient's needs and vision abilities. An eye exam is conducted in order to determine the underlying cause of the amblyopia and the extent of the patient's visual abilities. Through various visual activities, the patient is trained to coordinate both eyes with the brain during therapy sessions
