What is amblyopia?
Amblyopia (or ‘lazy eye’) is a condition in which the vision in one eye doesn't develop properly, so one eye (or sometimes both) has poor vision without there being a problem with the physical structure of the eye itself. It’s the most common problem with vision in children.
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- 2-3 in every 100
- people are thought to be affected by amblyopia
What causes amblyopia?
Amblyopia happens when the brain ignores one eye and relies more heavily on the other. This is usually because of a difference in glasses prescription between the two eyes – the brain prefers the eye with the naturally sharper vision. Another cause is strabismus (squint), when the eyes are not aligned.
What are the signs and symptoms of amblyopia?
Symptoms of amblyopia include problems judging depth or distance. It may be difficult to sense contrast or motion. This can make people clumsy or make it hard to play sports or catch a ball. A child may have a squint in one eye.
Is amblyopia serious?
When the brain relies more heavily on one eye, the visual parts of the brain don’t get normal input as the child grows up. Amblyopia can lead to permanent sight loss if left untreated. There may also be psychological effects, such as lower self-esteem.
Children with amblyopia may also be more at risk of being bullied.
How is amblyopia diagnosed?
Amblyopia is diagnosed with an eye examination, and in particular by comparing the vision in one eye to the other.
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What are the treatments for amblyopia?
At the moment treatment involves wearing corrective glasses and wearing a patch on the ‘good’ eye for a few hours a day, so that the brain has to use the ‘bad’ eye, until visual development is complete. Alternatively, eye drops can be used to blur vision in the good eye.
The younger the child is when the problem is picked up, the more likely it is that treatment will be successful.
What research is there into amblyopia?
Amblyopia research aims to improve treatments and understand more about how the brain processes vision. In the past, vision was thought of in terms of the ability to read letter charts (visual acuity). But newer research suggests that it’s more complex and involves the way our brains recognise movement, shapes and objects.
Fight for Sight research has also shown that it may be possible to improve vision even in adults with amblyopia, for example with video gaming.
Our research is fuelling projects helping to unlock the secrets of dozens of different eye conditions. The brilliant minds we fund are working to understand how eye conditions start, how to prevent them, and to diagnose them sooner. And they’re finding new treatments.
With your help we’ll use our expertise to prevent, treat and cure vision loss within a lifetime.
Last updated September 2015
Approved by Dr Annegret Dahlmann-noor, Moorfields Eye Hospital
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