As a child grows up, the way they see the world physically can have a dramatic effect on their personality and outlook on life. It can be hard to watch them struggle to see properly if they have poor vision. There are various conditions that can impact their vision, from astigmatism to nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other refractive errors. Your little one may even have a lazy eye. While an optometrist can help diagnose your kid's vision issue, this guide outlines more about lazy eyes and how they can be corrected.

What Is a Lazy Eye?

Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is a condition characterized by the drifting of an eye away from the center of focus. It can wander toward or away from the opposite eye, and in rare cases, it can occur in both eyes simultaneously. It happens when the eyes cannot maintain the same level of focus, and the one with worse vision is not being used. It occurs primarily in children 7 years old and younger, though it is still the prevalent cause of vision loss through the age of 15.

What Are the Symptoms?

If your child has a lazy eye, the eyes will not face the same direction. Amblyopia may also be the cause if the eyes appear to not be syncing up. It may be noticeable that your little one is favoring one eye if they're consistently running into things on one side of their body or tipping the head to the right or left. You may also notice that they have a sagging eyelid or shaking eyes.

What Causes a Lazy Eye?

Strabismus is a common cause of lazy eyes. It occurs when the ocular muscles which point the eye in the correct direction are disproportionate, keeping the eyes from working concurrently. It may be corrected with an eye patch worn over the stronger eye to help exercise the weaker one.

The refractive variation happens when one of the eyes is either nearsighted or farsighted. This causes a disparity in their visual clarity. Astigmatism is another possible cause. Treatment options include eyeglasses, contacts, or even atropine drops in the healthy eye to impair its focus and encourage the other to work harder.

Deprivation amblyopia is the result of blocked vision in one eye. This could be due to cataracts, a lowered eyelid, or a corneal scar that has impaired the vision in one eye, leaving the other to do most of the work. This issue should be dealt with immediately by an optometrist to prevent further vision loss. It usually requires corrective surgery.

If you think your child may have a lazy eye, take them to Van Keuren, O.D., in Elyria, OH, for an eye exam. This optometrist has been practicing for over 30 years and serves patients throughout Lorain County. Whether you need contacts or glasses, he can diagnose and treat many eye issues. Visit the website to learn more about their services, and call (440) 365-2021 to schedule an appointment.