Lazy eye | Learn about the causes, symptoms and effective treatments

Medical articles

Lazy eye: its causes, symptoms, and effective treatment methods

Medical articles

Reviewed by: Dr. Ghada Asraf, Ophthalmology Consultant

Strabismus is a common symptom for many people, which causes poor vision. It usually begins at birth and develops with the child until he reaches 7 years of age. The true cause of this matter has not been revealed until today, despite its ability to affect vision as well as the ability to practice daily activities. Its symptoms appear clearly and there are many degrees of it, but it must be diagnosed early so that the child undergoes correct treatment by a specialist. It is preferable to go to Al-Mousa Specialist Center where there is comprehensive medical care before the matter gets worse and before the child is over 4 years old. For more details about lazy eye, follow the article with us.

What is lazy eye?

It is an abnormal development of the eye that results in poor vision. This occurs in an early stage of childhood and is known as strabismus.

Lazy eye usually develops from birth until the child reaches the age of 7 years, and this occurs in only one eye, but there are some rare cases in which this disease affects both eyes.

The reason is usually a lack of compatibility between the neural pathways between the brain and the eye, which leads to a clear weakness in the child’s vision.

Lazy eye is a common symptom in children that requires immediate referral to the treating physician in order to diagnose the condition, so as not to cause complications that ultimately lead to the child’s vision loss.

Its symptoms usually appear in the form of incoordination between eye movements, noting that it is preferable to diagnose it before the age of 3 years so that the child undergoes appropriate treatment before the condition worsens.

Common causes of lazy eye

There are many reasons that lead to lazy eyes, the most important of which are the following:

The presence of severe drooping of the upper eyelid, which leads to obstruction of vision, in addition to problems with the cornea.
Low birth weight or premature birth.
Growth problems or some genetic factors.
The presence of blurring and distortion in the eye lens, which leads to weak vision and lazy eye.
There are differences in visual acuity between the two eyes, which leads to refractive ataxia.
Strabismus, which causes each eye to see differently than the other eye as a result of weakness in the eye muscles, thus causing lazy eye.

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Symptoms of lazy eye and how to detect it

There are many symptoms that appear in a child with lazy eye disease, including all of the following:

Note drooping in the upper eyelid of the eye.
Around the eyes, where it is observed in one or both eyes.
Notice the asymmetry in movement between the eyes.
Tilt the head while seeing objects and looking at them carefully.
Closing one eye while looking at objects.
Moving the eye horizontally, i.e. moving it in and out.
Having difficulty determining how far or close things are.
Noticing that the child finds it difficult to perceive the depth of things around him.

Complications of neglecting treatment of lazy eye

Neglecting the symptoms of lazy eye leads to some complications, which are as follows:

Neglecting lazy eye may lead to blindness in the child, and this is one of the most important risk factors for this disease.
The child may suffer from strabismus due to the lack of correct focus of the image in the brain due to weakness in the eye.
A clear impact on the central vision of the eye as a result of neglecting treatment at the correct time.
Lack of vision accurately and affecting coordination between the eyes.
The child has difficulty performing daily activities.

Methods of diagnosing lazy eye

Lazy eye is diagnosed through several methods and organized methods, which are as follows:

Traditional visual examination by the treating physician by determining the extent of seeing shapes and letters on a board fixed on the wall.
The doctor makes the diagnosis by examining the eyes' ability to focus.
Trace the path of light in both eyes after first tracing it in each eye separately.
Checking the strength of the patient's vision.
Examine the strength of the eye muscles.
Using a magnifying device that the treating physician relies on to look at the details of the child’s eye.

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The latest methods of treating lazy eye

Several advanced methods and techniques are used to treat lazy eye, the most important of which are the following:

Eye drops: Sometimes the doctor prescribes some types of eye drops in order to reduce the severity of the fog and allow the affected eye to function properly, such as atropine drops.
Use of the patch: It is a patch that is worn on the healthy eye, as a means of forcing the affected eye to work in a more efficient manner. Although it may hinder the child’s vision at first, it helps improve vision later, in addition to the possibility of this type of treatment taking several years.
Prescription glasses: They are considered one of the first methods of treating lazy eyes, as they have contributed to improving many conditions around the eyes, but they are required to be worn all the time.
Surgical operations: Surgical operations are considered one of the last solutions and methods of treating lazy eye, as they are resorted to in the event that all previous treatment methods fail with the persistence of strabismus and irregular eye focus.

Tips to prevent lazy eye

A set of important tips should be adhered to in order to prevent lazy eye, despite it being one of the diseases that is difficult to prevent, the most important of which are the following:

Early detection and periodic examination of the child throughout childhood until the age of 7 years.
Commitment to following up on the child and being well aware of the symptoms of lazy eye and matching them to the child constantly.
Conduct periodic examination of the child, especially if there is a family history of this disease.
Premature babies who were born prematurely are also subject to examination.
Ensure that the child does not suffer from torsion of the eye immediately after birth, and follow up for several consecutive days.
Treat the child as soon as any type of eye disease is discovered.
Early detection of cataracts.

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In conclusion, we stress the necessity of early detection of lazy eye disease in children so that the matter does not develop and become more serious and the child becomes blind, while being careful to choose a reliable place such as Al Mousa Specialist Center, which provides integrated medical care in the eye department and many other medical departments at the hands of specialists with the highest level of competence and experience, while being careful to take all preventive measures to avoid this matter.

Frequently asked questions

Can lazy eye be cured?

Yes, lazy eye disease is a common disease in children that can be cured, especially if the appropriate treatment is done and the condition is detected early.

What is the difference between weak vision and lazy eye?

There is a big difference between them, as lazy eye is a disease that affects children in the early stages of childhood and occurs due to the lack of development of the eye and its inability to communicate properly with the brain, while the problem of weak vision is a refractive problem in vision, where long-sightedness or short-sightedness and other problems occur.