Lazy eye

• An eye that wanders inward or outward
• Eyes that may not appear to work together
• Poor depth perception

Although lazy eye usually affects just one eye, it's possible for both eyes to be affected.

Causes

Anything that blurs a child's vision or causes the eyes to cross or turn out may cause lazy eye.

The most common culprit is strabismus — an imbalance in the muscles responsible for positioning of the eyes, which can cause the eyes to cross in or turn out. The muscle imbalance prevents the eyes from tracking with each other.

Sometimes lazy eye is the result of an anatomic or structural abnormality, such as an abnormal central retina or a cloudy area in the lens of the eye (cataract). In other cases, an abnormal eye shape or a size difference between the eyes contributes to lazy eye.

Risk factors

Lazy eye tends to run in families. Lazy eye may be more likely among children who were born prematurely or those who have developmental delays as they get older.

Occasionally, a wandering eye is the first sign of an eye tumour.

Complications

Left untreated, lazy eye can cause permanent vision loss. In fact, lazy eye is the most common cause of single-eye vision impairment in young and middle-aged adults, according to the National Eye Institute.

Diagnosis

Lazy eye is diagnosed with a thorough eye exam. The doctor will look for a wandering eye, as well as a difference in vision between the eyes or poor vision in both eyes. Special diagnostic tests aren't usually needed.

References

http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/amblyopia-child-eyes

http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/az/A/Amblyopia-lazy-eye-/Treating-lazy-eye.html

http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/21

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lazy-eye/Pages/Treatment.aspx