When one eye gets weaker compared to the other throughout infancy or childhood, it is known as amblyopia or lazy eye. The brain needs to prioritize the stronger eye, which causes the weaker eye to deteriorate gradually. Early detection is crucial since timely treatment has a greater chance of success. An eye patch or spectacles are used as treatments for the same.
What does it mean to have a lazy eye?
Amblyopia is a type of vision impairment that typically affects only one eye but less frequently both. It occurs when the interaction between the brain and the eye breaks down, making it impossible for the brain to recognize what is being seen by only one eye. While vision in the weaker eye deteriorates over time, the brain begins to rely more and more on the other, stronger eye.
The term “lazy eye” is inaccurate because the eye is not inactive. Not a problem with the eye itself; the ailment is a developmental issue with the nerve that connects the brain to the eye. The brain essentially ignores the lazy eye concentrating on one eye more than the other. The nerve cells that control the vision due to lack of proper stimulation do not mature.