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Five-Year-Old with Lazy Eye
Tiffany wrote:
My 5 year old daughter has a lazy eye - her right eye turns in. She was first diagnosed at 2 1/2 and has been wearing glasses since then. She has been wearing bi-focals for over 1 year and we have been patching for almost 2 years on and off. For 4 months in the summer she patched 4 hours per day! We have tried the drops in the eyes with no improvement and now are back to patching for 4 hours during the week and as long as she can stand it on the weekends. My question is can anymore be done in addition to patching? I have been told by various doctors that she has a very stubborn case and the suppression is quite strong. Are there vision or other therapies that are being used? Thanks in advance for your help.
Dr. Sally Aldayeh's response:
Hello Tiffany,
Many people make the mistake of saying that a person who has a crossed or turned eye has a “lazy eye,” but amblyopia (LAZY EYE) and strabismus (EYE TURN) are not the same condition. Eye turn, however, can cause lazy eye. In other words, amblyopia can result from an eye that turns all of the time. An eye turn which occurs only some of the time rarely causes amblyopia (lazy eye).
While an eye turn (strabismus) can be easily spotted, amblyopia (lazy eye) without strabismus (eye turn) can be not noticed by either you or your pediatrician.
Due to misunderstanding or misuse of the terms for different visual conditions (i.e., deviating eyes vs. lazy eye), many people are inaccurately labelled as having a “lazy eye.”
The best treatment for an eye turn which is not CONSTANT is full time prescription wear, plus Vision therapy and orthoptics. Vision therapy and orthoptics is directed towards muscle strengthening. Treating a lazy eye, usually done with full time wear of prescription, drops, vision therapy and/or patching. Good luck
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Vision Therapy for Adult Amblyopia
Derek wrote:
I have amblyopia and have had glasses since I was 7 years old. As an adult I'm entirely reliant on my good eye as glasses don't correct the issue in my problem eye. I've followed research on treating amblyopia in adults though visual exercises and recently read about the use of video games and patching that resulted in improvements in participant’s ability to read charts. When I ask my optometrists about this I'm told that adults cannot be successfully treated. Is this something the Association is following and does it see any potential? Are there trials in Canada?
Dr Joan Hansen's response:
Derek,
Research is done at the School of Optometry at Waterloo www.optometry.uwaterloo.ca and perhaps the School at the University of Montreal www.opto.umontreal.ca (however I cannot read their website as it is only in French). Also you could ask you local Provincial Optometry Association opto.ca/links/#provincial-associations for a referral to an optometrist near you who does vision therapy.
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Four Year Old Son Diagnosed as Far Sighted
Anna wrote:
Hello, My son is almost 4 years old & was diagnosed with being far-sighted. OD +2.50 & OS +4.00. Would you kindly explain to me what this means? Our optomotrist did not have time to explain in detail, and asked me to bring in my 18mth old too for an exam...he plans to explain everything to me at that point. Seeing i can't wait those extra days, would you kindly explain what the above diagnosis means??? Why would my daughter likely have this problem too...he did mention he can be corrected by age 7-8 if glasses are worn now? Would my 18mth old need the glasses now or later on? Thanking you so much for your help.
Dr Joan Hansen's response:
Anna,
I’m hoping that by now you have the explanation that you need. If not please see www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/hyperopia.htm Due to genetics your 18 month old could very well have similar eyes and would also need glasses to prevent a lazy eye (Amblyopia) from developing. The 18 month old would be wearing glasses now if they are needed, as the younger the child the better the chances of reversing the amblyopia.
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