What Are The Causes Of Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) And Is There Anything I Can Do To Prevent It?

Aug. 24, 2009— -- Question: What are the causes of amblyopia (lazy eye) and is there anything I can do to prevent it?

Answer: The main causes of amblyopia in childhood includes strabismus, or eye misalignment, and a term called anisometropia. The term anisometropia means that one eye may see quite well without any need for glasses and the other eye may be very far-sighted or very near-sighted or have a significant astigmatism. This difference and the power requirement between the two eyes is a significant cause of amblyopia in eyes that otherwise look quite aligned and normal. It is one of the main causes of amblyopia that really requires diligence on the part of the primary care provider to do an appropriate vision screen.

The eyes may look quite normal, and yet if each eye is not tested with regard to vision separately, this type of amblyopia could be missed. Preventable causes of amblyopia? There's really no prevention of amblyopia except for early identification of the risk factors of amblyopia, which includes strabismus and a difference between the power of the eyes.