Multiple studies suggest that between 1% and 4% of children worldwide have some form of lazy eye, a condition that affects their ability to process visual information, including depth perception. If you you feel that your eye is unfocused or you’re struggling to see, the expert optometry team at Antelope Valley Optometric Center in Lancaster, California can help. Early detection and treatment helps resolve lazy eye and preserves vision. If you live in or around the area, contact the office for a lazy eye consultation by phone or using the online scheduler.
Lazy eye, otherwise known as amblyopia, is characterized by reduced vision in one eye. Lazy eye usually develops at birth or in early childhood.
Symptoms of lazy eye include:
If you’ve taken notice of a loved one in your family’s misaligned eye, or you suspect you yourself might have a lazy eye, you should see your optometrist right away for a comprehensive eye examination and visual acuity tests.
Lazy eye occurs due to changes in the nerve pathways between the eye’s retina and the brain. The lazy eye sends weaker signals, which the brain eventually ignores. Lazy eye can be caused by one or a combination of:
Developmental disorders or a family history of amblyopia increase the chances of developing lazy eye. Children are also more susceptible to lazy eye if they were born prematurely or had a low birth weight.
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with lazy eye, your optometrists at Antelope Valley Optometric Center begin treatment right away to prevent vision loss. Ideally, treatment should start before the age of seven, but even adults can have their lazy eye corrected with treatment. They recommend:
Lazy eye treatment can last anywhere from six months to two years, depending on the severity of your child’s case. You should start to notice improved vision within weeks to months.
Don’t delay in treating lazy eye. Contact Antelope Valley Optometric Center to preserve your child’s vision by calling the helpful staff or scheduling a consultation online.