Lazy eye (amblyopia)


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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Anything that blurs a child's vision or causes the eyes to cross or turn out may cause lazy eye. There are three common causes of lazy eye:

  • Strabismic. The most common cause of lazy eye is strabismus - an imbalance in the muscles responsible for positioning of the eyes. This imbalance can cause the eyes to cross in or turn out. The muscle imbalance prevents the eyes from tracking together in a coordinated way.
  • Deprivation. Deprivation lazy eye occurs if there is a problem with one eye, such as a cloudy area in the lens (cataract). This "deprives" the child of clear vision in the eye.
  • Refractive. This type of lazy eye is the result of a significant difference between the vision in each eye, due to nearsightedness, farsightedness or an imperfection on the surface of the eye (astigmatism). These are the types of vision problems typically corrected by glasses or contact lenses.

Occasionally, a wandering eye is the first sign of an eye tumor.

Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. Amblyopia. American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/21. Accessed April 21, 2013.
  2. Vision screening for children one to five years of age: Recommendation statement. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org./uspstf/uspsvsch.htm. Accessed April 23, 2013.
  3. Coats DK, et al. Overview of amblyopia. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 24, 2013.
  4. Yanoff M, ed., et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Edinburgh, U.K.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/212799885-2/0/1869/0.html. Accessed April 24, 2013.
  5. Scheiman MM, et al. Randomized trial of treatment of amblyopia in children aged 7 to 17 years. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2005;123:437.
  6. Amblyopia: Lazy eye diagnosis. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amblyopia-diagnosis.cfm. Accessed April 22, 2013.
  7. Amblyopia: Who is at risk for lazy eye? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amblyopia-diagnosis.cfm. Accessed April 22, 2013.
  8. Amblyopia: Lazy eye symptoms. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amblyopia-diagnosis.cfm. Accessed April 21, 2013.
  9. Amblyopia: Lazy eye treatment. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amblyopia-diagnosis.cfm. Accessed April 22, 2013.
  10. Facts about amblyopia. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/amblyopia/amblyopia_guide.asp. Accessed April 28, 2013.
  11. Amblyopia. National Guideline Clearinghouse. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=39255. April 28, 2013.
  12. Taylor K, et al. Interventions for unilateral and bilateral refractive amblyopia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005137.pub3/abstract. Accessed April 23, 2013.
  13. Matta MS, et al. Evidence-based medicine: Treatment for amblyopia. American Orthoptic Journal. 2010;60:17.
  14. Suttle CM. Active treatments for amblyopia: A review of the methods and evidence base. Clinical and Experimental Optometry. 2010;93:287.
DS00887 July 3, 2013

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