It's Never Too Late To Treat a Lazy Eye

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What is Lazy Eye?

Lazy eye is a condition, referred to medically as amblyopia, which occurs when there is a lack of coordination between both eyes causing one eye to see poorly, even when trying to correct it with glasses or contact lenses. In such a case, each eye is receiving its own image that does not align with the other and in order to cope with this, the brain shuts off and suppresses the image from the eye referred to as a lazy eye. The brain solely relies on the second eye, which is the only eye that is able to achieve 20/20 vision.

There are various causes of amblyopia including a high prescription of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism either in both eyes or when one eye has a higher prescription than the other. The most noticeable cause of a lazy eye is when one eye wanders outwards or inwards, but many cases of amblyopia are difficult to detect without an eye exam. It is important to schedule a comprehensive eye exam with our optometrist who will be able to diagnose and treat the condition for patients of all ages.

Can Lazy Eye be Treated in Older Children, Adolescents and Adults?

The answer is yes! Sadly there is a common misconception, even amongst the scientific and medical community, that a lazy eye can only be treated up until around age eight. It is so unfortunate for people who are older than that to be withheld from having access to effective treatment due to this misconception that has been researched and proven to be incorrect. Treatment may take longer in an adult compared to a child, but people who are older than eight years old can still benefit greatly from successful results. Adolescents and adults have the advantage of generally being more compliant and determined to participate in the treatment plan as an older patient usually has a greater understanding of what is trying to be accomplished. Please allow yourself the opportunity to achieve optimal vision, no matter how old you are. We welcome you to schedule a consultation at our office.

What is brain plasticity?

The brain has an incredible feature known as plasticity which means it can always adapt and be trained to strengthen and to perform new functions. This applies greatly to the treatment of amblyopia, a neural abnormality of vision, in which the brain and the visual pathways can be trained to work together properly as a team without suppressing the lazy eye. Plasticity is not limited to a certain age and it applies in adulthood as well, yielding effective results for patients who are both younger and older. This special feature that our brain possesses allows us to learn new skills, to recover from various setbacks and to constantly be growing.

What happens if amblyopia is left untreated?

It is so important to understand that it is never too late to treat a lazy eye because the alternative of leaving this condition untreated can have serious consequences and lead to various conditions, such as:

Strabismus - this is when the eyes are crossed as opposed to being properly aligned
Central vision issues - an untreated lazy eye can cause central visual impairment
Blindness - permanent vision loss can be caused by an untreated lazy eye; lazy eye is the most common cause of single vision loss in the U.S.

Treatment Methods for Adults with Amblyopia

After a comprehensive assessment, a customized treatment plan will be created for the patient’s individual needs and visual skills. There are different methods for treating a lazy eye and often patients benefit from a combination of techniques:

Prescription glasses - are used to correct any refractive error, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism
Vision therapy - uses different exercises to strengthen how the brain works together with the eyes to optimize the entire visual system.
Eye patching - scientific studies prove that long hours of eye patching is no longer the effective method for treatment, but rather a combination of vision therapy and a few hours of patching is at least just as effective as full-time patching
Atropine eye drops - scientific research proves that daily administration of eye drops used to fog the vision from one eye, allowing the lazy eye to strengthen, is no longer the most effective method of treatment. Using the eye drops only on weekends will yield the same results as daily administration.
Virtual Reality - the FDA approved a virtual reality treatment method for amblyopia in which the patient watches modified movies and TV shows in order to strengthen the lazy eye using a virtual reality headset. Each eye receives its own image with different contrasts and learns to work optimally with the other eye and the brain in order to perceive the images properly

Summary

No matter the age, if you have been diagnosed with amblyopia or you want to be checked if you have a lazy eye we strongly recommend scheduling an appointment in order to receive the eye care you deserve. To schedule a functional vision exam, please call (562) 925-6591. Patients with functional vision issues visit our clinic from all over California, and we are proud to be a leading provider of functional vision services for patients from Bellflower, Long Beach, Lakewood, and Los Angeles.

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Testimonials

I haven't actually used the optometrist side, so my review is limited to the vision therapy offered. This office was recommended by my occupational therapist for the treatment of my double vision following a stroke.

Claire A.

Love this location. I had a brain injury accident from day one one. All the team make you feel you still important and hope in the horizon after when the medical system fell you miserably. Dr. Ikeda very professional and very understanding about your issue. Two tombs up.

Jim K.

My husband and I were immediately impressed with Dr Ikeda. I was hit by a car while cycling which caused broken bones and three brain injuries. The brain injuries caused double vision. Dr. Ikeda examined my eyes and got me started on vision therapy with his occupational therapist who specializes in vision therapy. She (Chris) is absolutely great. I am impressed with the array of tools used to help recover my binocular vision. I am doing things I never thought were possible (balance boards etc). Chris pushes me and keeps me motivated. I really enjoy my sessions with her. The office staff is always friendly and they have a wonderful appointment reminder tool that makes it easy to keep my calendar up to date. I am happy the rehab center at Little Co. of Mary recommended them!!

Teresa S.

The Vision Therapy is handled in a separate office through a different door from the shared waiting room. Chris, the vision therapist, has a wide and varied assortment of tools, equipment and resources to best evaluate and treat most vision issues. After just a few visits, my double vision became easier to control, using exercises developed during the therapy process. It was time well-spent.

Joe M.

I have been coming here since I can remember. I love it here. The staff is so amazing and nice. They explain everything they gonna do and never make you feel rushed. Dr. Ikeda has always been my doctor and I would never want another one. He is the doctor for my whole family and is always asking how everyone is doing. I am also so crazy about picking out my frames and have to try so many and each person who helps me take the time and lets me try them all on. I would never want to go anywhere else! I definitely would recommend this office to anyone looking for a great eye doctor.

Kayla W.

This is not for the eye exam but for the frames selection portion. I brought my prescription from Kaiser here with my VSP insurance. The reception staff was very polite and professional. Manny helped me to pick out frames and explain my coverage. Very helpful and patient not like the individual at the other place I rated here on Yelp. I was running late and he still helped me and was not bothered at all. I am so glad I came here ..........very pleased.

Very professional staff and pleasant.