How is amblyopia treated in children?

The best amblyopia treatment is to make a child used the eye with reduced vision. There are 2 ways to do this:

1.Atropine

A drop of a drug called atropine is placed in the stronger eye once a day to temporarily blur the vision so that the child will prefer to use the other eye. This stimulates vision in the weaker eye and helps the part of the brain that manages vision develop more completely.

2. Patching

An opaque, adhesive patch is worn over the stronger eye. This therapy forces the child to use the eye with amblyopia. Patching stimulates vision in the weaker eye and helps the part of the brain that manages vision develop more completely.

Previously, eye care professionals often thought that treating amblyopia in older children would be of little benefit. However, surprising results from a nationwide clinical trial show that many children age 7 through 17 with amblyopia may benefit from treatments that are used with younger children. This study shows that age alone should not be used as a factor to decide whether or not to treat a child for amblyopia.

Can amblyopia be treated in adults?

Studies are very limited at this time and scientists don't know what the success rate might be for treating amblyopia in adults.