With early diagnosis and treatment, the sight in the "lazy eye" can be restored. The earlier the treatment, the better the opportunity to reverse the vision loss. Amblyopia can usually be successfully treated up to the age of seven, but treatment for older children may sometimes be successful in improving vision and can be attempted.
Before treating Amblyopia, it is necessary to first treat the underlying cause.
- Glasses are commonly prescribed to improve focusing or misalignment of the eyes.
- Surgery may be performed on the eye muscles to straighten the eyes. This works by allowing the eyes to work together better.
The correction may be followed by:
- Patching or covering one eye may be required. The better-seeing eye is patched, forcing the "lazy" one to work, thereby strengthening its vision.
- Medication, in the form of eye drops or ointment, may be used to blur the vision of the good eye in order to force the weaker one to work.