Parents should be aware of the symptoms of lazy eye (amblyopia) in their children and take them for routine eye examinations at least once in two years, an optometrist at Hamad Medical Corporation's Al Wakra Hospital has urged.

The signs and symptoms of lazy eye include blurred vision, headaches, one eye that wanders inwards or outwards, eyes that may not appear to work together and poor depth perception.

Optometrist Rose Antony cautioned that in cases of lazy eye, there may not be an obvious abnormality of the eye. Lazy eye develops when nerve pathways between the brain and the eye are not properly stimulated.

"As a result, the brain favours one eye, usually due to poor vision in the other eye. The weaker eye may tend to wander. Eventually, the brain ignores the signals received from the weaker or lazy eye,” she explained.

Although lazy eye usually affects just one eye, it is possible for both eyes to be affected. Sometimes lazy eye is not evident without an eye examination.

She stressed that eye screening after birth and vision tests at schools can help diagnose amblyopia to some extent. For all children, a thorough eye examination is recommended between three and five years of age.

“A detailed eye examination in an eye clinic gives an accurate picture of amblyopia. In majority of cases where amblyopia is treated early, the child’s vision improves. The longer the condition is left untreated, the less likely it is for the vision to improve.”

Antony noted that lazy eye tends to run in families. “Lazy eye may be more likely among children who are born prematurely or with low birth weight, or who are born in a family with a history of childhood cataracts, squint or serious eye disease. If left untreated, lazy eye can cause permanent vision loss. In fact, lazy eye is one of the most common causes of single-eye vision impairment in young and middle-aged adults.”

While urging parents to prevent avoidable vision impairment in their children by not neglecting their eye health, she said there are three common causes of lazy eye. The most common cause is strabismus, an imbalance in the muscles responsible for the positioning of the eyes. This imbalance can cause the eyes to cross in or turn out.”

“Treatment of amblyopia includes correcting the underlying cause as the first step. Ocular abnormalities can mostly be corrected with medication or surgery. Refractive problems should be corrected by glasses or contact lenses before treating the lazy eye. Part time patching of the good eye is still the most recommended treatment for amblyopia,” Antony concluded.