Treatment

The primary treatment for amblyopia is occlusion therapy. It is important to alternate patching the good eye (forcing the amblyopic eye to work) and the amblyopic eye. If the good eye is constantly patched, it too may become amblyopic because of disuse. The treatment plan should be discussed with the doctor to fully understand how long the patch will be on. When patched, eye exercises may be prescribed to force the amblyopic eye to focus and work. This is called vision therapy or vision training (eye exercises). Even after vision has been restored in the weak eye, part-time patching may be required over a period of years to maintain the improvement.

Treatment depends on the underlying cause and how early the condition is diagnosed. It was previously believed that only young children could benefit from treatment, because the brain's vision system is completely developed by age 8 to 10. Detection and correction before the age of 2 offers the best chance for normal vision.

However, current research has concluded that effective treatment can take place at any age. The longer the condition goes uncorrected, the longer the length of treatment required. Treatment can be as simple as a pair of eyeglasses or as complex as surgery.

Surgery is used to treat amblyopia caused by strabismus, cataracts, and other blockages on the cornea. For strabismus, surgery is performed on the eye muscle to force the eyes into alignment. Sometimes surgical results are cosmetic; the eyes look straighter, but they are still not aligned and require further treatment. Early surgery is often recommended, so that infants can develop normal sight as their eyes mature.

Eyeglasses are used to correct the visual imbalance if amblyopia is caused by a refractive error. Glasses or bifocals are also sometimes used to straighten strabismic eyes.

Vision therapy uses exercises to help both eyes work together. It also trains the brain to use the amblyopic eye, improving its vision. Vision therapy can be used alone, before or after surgery, and with eyeglasses.

Patching involves covering the good eye and forcing use of the amblyopic eye. The weaker eye becomes stronger with use. The problem with eye patches is that some children do not like wearing them. A patch can be worn all day or for a few hours a day, depending on the child's age and vision. It is used until the eye has strengthened and vision has normalized or until improvement plateaus.