In lazy eye, patching is only useful in combination with vision therapy.
Lazy eye or amblyopia occurs when there is a decrease in visual acuity in one eye that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
Amblyopia is a visual disorder that affects 3 percent of children and generally occurs as a result of the difference in prescription between one eye and the other, since one sees much better than the other, and the brain is unable to merge the two images, discarding the blurrier one, which leads to the one with poorer vision stopping working, but it goes unnoticed because the other eye sees well.
Amblyopes are often clumsy children who stumble frequently and cannot accurately judge distances due to poor spatial vision (stereopsis). As children, they often fail to go through all the stages of motor development; many of them have never crawled. They often dislike fast-ball sports, such as tennis, due to the difficulty in responding.
The ideal approach is to see an ophthalmologist to rule out any pathology and, afterward, conduct a complete visual function analysis and prescribe an appropriate rehabilitation program. According to experts, this disorder is usually diagnosed fairly early, between the ages of 3 and 5; this is important because the sooner it is detected and treated, the greater the likelihood of achieving good vision with less effort.
The good news is that science has now proven that lazy eye can be treated regardless of the age at which it is treated. Previously, it was thought that there was no cure after the age of 8, but today, it is known that it can be treated at all ages due to brain plasticity.
It has also been shown that patching for hours is more effective when combined with active vision training. American ophthalmologists have concluded that wearing the patch for longer periods of time does not necessarily improve vision. Furthermore, the exclusive use of opaque patches has become obsolete; occluder filters attached to glasses are now also used. These filters are translucent sheets that reduce vision in the good eye without impairing peripheral vision. This ensures that both eyes see equally, and therefore the brain receives two images of the same quality and can merge them more easily.
Now, the key to recovery from lazy eye is vision therapy. In addition to developing visual acuity, binocular functions and all necessary visual skills are strengthened, with the aim of preventing setbacks and achieving good performance. This is followed by minimal maintenance exercises and annual checkups to continue developing the acquired skills. Home vision exercises should be structured, evaluated, and prescribed by a professional. The patient can perform simple exercises that can take 10 to 15 minutes daily.