Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)

What are the symptoms of Lazy Eye?

The symptoms of lazy eye aren't always obvious ‑ particularly in children who cannot express themselves fully yet. If a child has had a lazy eye since they were very young, they also might simply not realise they're having vision problems. 

This is why it's so important to get your child's eyes tested when they're young ‑ optometrists might identify problems that might not be easy for anyone else to spot. Here are some of the more common telltale signs and symptoms of lazy eye:

• A squint: Some people with amblyopia (but definitely not all) have a visible squint or strabismus, where their eyes don't line up when looking at things. 

• Covering an eye when looking at things: To help focus on things, people with a lazy eye may sometimes cover one eye to help see things that are near or far.  

• Head tilting: Sometimes, people with a lazy eye will tilt their heads when looking at things. This may lead to neck or shoulder pain. 

• Discomfort: People with amblyopia may often have tired or uncomfortable eyes, and they may blink or rub them more than others. They may also have headaches more often. 

• Coordination problems: Because sight from one eye isn't as good, people with amblyopia may have problems with hand‑eye coordination (for example, catching or throwing things). They may also trip over things or bump into obstacles more often.

How is Lazy Eye treated?

There are a few different treatments available for lazy eye. The optometrist, or eye specialist at the hospital, will decide how to fix a lazy eye, depending on what's causing the amblyopia, how severe it is, as well as the needs and demands of the child. For example, some kids really don't get on with eye patches. 

• Glasses for lazy eye: If the lazy eye is caused by a sight problem such as astigmatism or short‑sightedness, prescription glasses can really help. They will help reflect light correctly into the affected eye, meaning the child can see more easily, and their brain will be able to use this information. 

• Amblyopia eye patch: An eye patch is placed over the normal eye. This forces the lazy eye to work harder. Over a few weeks or months, this helps train the eye to work more effectively. To begin with, kids normally will need to wear the patch for a couple of hours per day, but they may need to wear it for up to six hours each day. 

• Amblyopia eye drops: If the child refuses to wear an eye patch, the optometrist or eye specialist at the hospital might recommend using an eye drop called Atropine 1%. This is dropped in the healthy eye and blurs the vision in that eye for a few days. This then forces the brain to use information from the lazy eye. 

• Lazy eye surgery: Sometimes, surgery is an effective option. If the amblyopia is caused by a cataract, the child will have this removed while under anaesthetic. Or, if the lazy eye is caused by a droopy eyelid or problems with the eye muscles, surgeons can also correct these issues. 

• Exercises for lazy eye: Certain exercises can help to train the lazy eye by making it focus on things. Your optometrist will show you how to do them. These can include pencil push‑ups (focusing on an object moving near and far) or object tracking. These might be done while the normal eye is covered. 

• New binocular treatments: In the last few years, a variety of new treatments have been tested using special VR‑style headsets. You wear a headset, and each eye sees a slightly different thing while you play video games. The headsets can be set up to train the lazy eye to work harder. These treatments aren't available everywhere just yet, but early results appear promising.