Amblyopia, often called ‘lazy eye’ and occurs when the eyes are turned or when one eye has a much different prescription than the other. The brain will “shut off” the image from the turned in or blurry eye. When left untreated, amblyopia can stunt the visual development of the affected eye, resulting in permanent vision impairment. It often occurs during early childhood so detecting the condition early increases the chance of successful treatment, especially if detected before the age of five. The earlier the underlying cause is corrected with spectacles, patching and/or surgery, the more successful the treatment in equalizing vision between the two eyes.
