Amblyopia: MedlinePlus [NEW TOPIC PAGE]

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Amblyopia: MedlinePlus



A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Amblyopia

Also called: Lazy eye 

Amblyopia, or "lazy eye," is the most common cause of visual impairment in children. It happens when an eye fails to work properly with the brain. The eye may look normal, but the brain favors the other eye. In some cases, it can affect both eyes. Causes include

• Strabismus - a disorder in which the two eyes don't line up in the same direction
• Refractive error in an eye - when one eye cannot focus as well as the other, because of a problem with its shape. This includes nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
• Cataract - a clouding in the lens of the eye

It can be hard to diagnose amblyopia. It is often found during a routine vision exam.

Treatment for amblyopia forces the child to use the eye with weaker vision. There are two common ways to do this. One is to have the child wear a patch over the good eye for several hours each day, over a number of weeks to months. The other is with eye drops that temporarily blur vision. Each day, the child gets a drop of a drug called atropine in the stronger eye. It is also sometimes necessary to treat the underlying cause. This could include glasses or surgery.

NIH: National Eye Institute

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Amblyopia
• Standard ophthalmic exam

Related Topics

• Eye Diseases
• Vision Impairment and Blindness
• Eyes and Vision

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Amblyopia is theNational Eye Institute

• Start Here

  • Amblyopia (For Parents)(Nemours Foundation)
  • Facts about Amblyopia(National Eye Institute)

• Overviews

  • Amblyopia(American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • Amblyopia: Lazy Eye Diagnosis(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
  • Amblyopia: Lazy Eye Symptoms(American Academy of Ophthalmology)

• Treatment

  • Amblyopia: Lazy Eye Treatment(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
  • Dilating Eye Drops(American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Patching Tips for Parents(American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)

• Prevention/Screening

  • Amblyopia: Who Is at Risk for Lazy Eye?(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
  • Vision Screening(American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
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• Specific Conditions

  • Toxic Amblyopia (Nutritional Amblyopia)(Merck & Co., Inc.)
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• Pictures & Photographs

  • Amblyopia(National Eye Institute)
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• Videos

  • NEI You Tube Videos: Amblyopia(National Eye Institute)
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• Anatomy/Physiology

  • Diagram of the Eye(National Eye Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Financial Issues

  • Financial Aid for Eye Care(National Eye Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Amblyopia(National Institutes of Health)
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• Research

  • Amblyopia(National Eye Institute)
  • Extended Daily Eye Patching Effective at Treating Stubborn Amblyopia in Children(National Eye Institute)
  • Researchers Find Essential Brain Circuit in Visual Development(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
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• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Part-time vs. full-time occlusion for amblyopia: evidence for part-time patching.
  • Article: Amblyopia (lazy eye) in children.
  • Article: Deprivation amblyopia and congenital hereditary cataract.
  • Amblyopia -- see more articles
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• Dictionaries/Glossaries

  • Glossary of Eye-Related Terms(Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology)
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• Directories

  • Eye Health Organizations Database(National Eye Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Find a Pediatric Ophthalmologist(American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Find an Eye M.D.(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Finding an Eye Care Professional(National Eye Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Organizations

  • American Academy of Ophthalmology
  • National Eye Institute
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• Patient Handouts

  • Amblyopia
  • Amblyopia(National Eye Institute) - PDF
  • Standard ophthalmic exam
  • Also available in Spanish
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