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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffThe brain and eyes have to work together to produce clear vision. If the brain favors one eye — usually due to poor vision in the other eye — the weaker eye tends to wander inward or outward. Eventually, the brain may ignore the signals received from the weaker eye. This condition is sometimes referred to as lazy eye (amblyopia).
Lazy eye is the leading cause of decreased vision among children. And lazy eye is fairly common, affecting about two to three of every 100 children, according to the National Eye Institute.
Conservative treatments such as corrective eyewear or eye patches can usually correct lazy eye. Sometimes, lazy eye requires surgical treatment. Left untreated, lazy eye may lead to permanent vision impairment.
- Amblyopia. National Eye Institute. National Institutes of Health. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/amblyopia. Accessed Sept. 10, 2008.
- Doshi NR, et al. Amblyopia. American Family Physician 2007;75(3):361-367.
- Parenting corner Q&A: Your child's eyes. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_Eyes.htm. Accessed Sept. 10, 2008.
- Retinoblastoma treatment (PDQ) patient version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/retinoblastoma/patient/allpages/print. Accessed Sept. 10, 2008.
- Preferred practice pattern: Ambylopia. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://one.aao.org/asset.axd?id=990d3861-25e9-4bc9-ad7e-9796b932a4d9. Accessed Sept. 10, 2008.
- Fact sheet: Amblyopia. National Institutes of Health. http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Amblyopia.pdf. Accessed Sept. 10, 2008.
