Often called “lazy eye”, amblyopia is a vision development disorder in which an eye fails to achieve normal visual acuity, even with prescription glasses or contact lenses. It typically begins during infancy and early childhood. If left untreated, amblyopia can stunt the visual development of the affected eye, leading to long-standing vision impairment.

Treatment may vary depending on what is causing the eye to be lazy. The traditional approach is to patch the good eye for long periods of time, to force the lazy eye to work. Unfortunately, most children hate this approach, and as a result, parents can become highly frustrated. Sometimes treatment includes a combination of special lenses (glasses) along with optometric vision therapy.

This modality has been shown to be an effective solution for lazy eye, as it targets the development and strengthening of the neural connections between the eyes and the brain, and enhances eye coordination and depth perception. When both eyes work together, it results in clearer, more comfortable vision.

Some doctors may say that there is nothing that can be done for this ailment after age 7 or 9. However, new research is confirming that it’s never too late to treat a lazy eye. While it’s definitely true that the earlier amblyopia and other vision conditions are diagnosed the easier they are to treat and manage, even adults well into their 40s and older can often benefit from vision therapy for amblyopia.