Our Eye Doctor in Winchester Treats Amblyopia

You may have heard the term "lazy eye" countless times over the years without really knowing what it means. The real name for the vision problem in question is amblyopia, and it's a problem that can seriously impair such vital aspects of eyesight as depth perception and peripheral vision. But whether you've been struggling with amblyopia yourself or you're concerned about helping your child avoid this common impediment to normal vision development, you've come to the right place. Our eye doctor in Winchester, Dr. Deering, can diagnose amblyopia and provide methods for overcoming it.

Amblyopia Causes and Effects

Amblyopia is perhaps best described as a communications error between the eyes and the brain's vision center. Under normal circumstances, the brain gives equal value to the visual data reaching it from each eye, combining those images to create a fully-realized, three-dimensional picture. But in the case of amblyopia, one eye's visual data is partly or totally discounted by the brain in favor of what it's receiving from the other eye. The primary forms and causes of amblyopia include:

• Refractive amblyopia - A significant refractive error (such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism) in one eye can compel the brain to rely on clearer images from the less-affected eye.
• Strabismus amblyopia - Strabismus is an eye alignment error that can make focusing and reconciling the data from both eyes difficult or impossible.
• Deprivation amblyopia - Ptosis (eyelid droop), cataracts or other conditions may obscure vision in one eye to the extent that the brain prefers visual data from the other eye.

No matter how clearly you may think you're seeing, amblyopia is a serious problem. Without normal binocular vision, you can't judge depth or distance correctly, possibly creating problems with balance, coordination, and safety. In children, amblyopia can impair normal visual development.

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Lazy Eye Treatment Options at Winchester Optical

Winchester Optical can provide the lazy eye treatment you or your child may need. Pediatric eye exams help us diagnose the problem as early in life as possible. common treatment methods include:

• Vision therapy exercises and related techniques to help correct strabismus
• Recommendations/referrals for treatment of underlying medical disorders
• Corrective lenses to compensate for refractive errors

One common method for re-training the brain to use the "less popular" eye is by temporarily blocking vision in the dominant eye, either through patching or through the use of special eye drops. A more advanced option called Flicker Glass actually trains both eyes to work as a team by blocking vision in each eye in rapid rotation.

Schedule an Eye Exam Today

If you're in Winchester, Woburn, Arlington, and Lexington and you think amblyopia might be a problem for someone in your family, get the help you seek at Winchester Optical. Call (781) 729-4553 to schedule an eye exam so we can check for the condition and prescribe any necessary treatment to correct that vision imbalance!