Amblyopia (lazy eye)

[davesgirl aka anty]

We just found out today that my daughter has amblypoia. We ordered glasses she picked out pink ones. She is going to have to wear a patch on her right eye so her left eye can get stronger. She is 7. Does anyone know anyone who has amblyopia? thanks anty

[betheny]

Don't panic, my kid had it. Doesn't even wear glasses now! Eye doctor says his vision is poor in one eye but he compensates fine, passed driving tests etc.

I tried so hard to keep a patch on his eye, he would peel a corner and stare out the side. It sucked.

Often now, my husband and I will watch a movie and one of us-usually Steve-says Look, lazy eye on that one. Lots of actors seem to have it.

Just do the best you can. There are some programs that are supposed to exercise that eye, you might look into it.

[darrel]

my G/F sister had this problem with her girls when we first got together..instead of a patch the eye Dr. suggested putting a piece of scotch tape over the lens of the glasses to strengthen the other eye.. just an idea...may want to ask about it

[davesgirl aka anty]

Thanks Bethany, I just ordered 2 patches 1 has a princess on it and the other a butterfly. I been reading alot on the inernet about the programs to exercise the eye. :) anty

[davesgirl aka anty]

my G/F sister had this problem with her girls when we first got together..instead of a patch the eye Dr. suggested putting a piece of scotch tape over the lens of the glasses to strengthen the other eye.. just an idea...may want to ask about it

Thanks darrel we are going to try the pretty patches i hope she wears them. We just ordered the glasses it takes a week to get. :) anty

[darrel]

she'll probably look better in pretty patches..the scotch tape always bothered me(I kept wanting to take it off for them)

[kenf]

i had it as a kid. had to wear glasses with a patch. well all the kids made fun of me and when i left the house for school i would put them in my back pocket. on the way home before the house i would put them back on for my mom. well my eye never got better. today i'm blind in that eye. so make sure she understands to always wear those glasses. other kids can be mean. if you don't correct it as a kid , your out of luck.

[wheeliecoach]

We just found out today that my daughter has amblypoia. We ordered glasses she picked out pink ones. She is going to have to wear a patch on her right eye so her left eye can get stronger. She is 7. Does anyone know anyone who has amblyopia? thanks anty

I know someone...me.

I was diagnosed at an early age and had prism work done to try and strengthen the muscles of the eye. I still have it to this day...but it is only noticeable if I am tired. Then it tends to wander more than normal.

[betheny]

i had it as a kid. had to wear glasses with a patch. well all the kids made fun of me and when i left the house for school i would put them in my back pocket. on the way home before the house i would put them back on for my mom. well my eye never got better. today i'm blind in that eye. so make sure she understands to always wear those glasses. other kids can be mean. if you don't correct it as a kid , your out of luck.

Ah kenf I'm sorry to hear that! How is your depth perception, can you drive? My son still gets embarrassed when I mention that eyepatch, and he's 18. He was only 4 or so when they found it. The kids must have given him hell. I'd tape it 9 ways to Sunday, THEN put a bandana or something over it LOL. I was most vigilant on weekends and summers, school was pretty much a lost cause, as it was with you. I think it interfered w/ his playing more than anything. I was terrified he'd be blind in that eye, they told me it was a small window of opportunity (I think they said up to age 8?) so I fought it and watched him like a hawk for a few years. Luckily it must have been long enough, I'm really grateful.

Anty, she'll be ok. Bribe her, reward her, praise her for complying. Girls are easier than boys on things like this imo (just guessing, never had a girl.) You're a good mom, and home all day, right? If you can make sure she complies on weekends and after school, and summertime, that eye will strengthen I bet.

Jake's vision is bad in that eye, but no glasses. I don't notice it wandering at all, wonder if I'm just used to it?

[68cougar]

Anty, I know a couple of people that had lazy eye when we were kids. They wore glasses that had a frosted lens instead of wearing eye patches. Its an option you might ask about if your daughter won't wear the patches. I don't think they wear glasses anymore and their lazy eye isn't noticeable.

[darrel]

Anty, I know a couple of people that had lazy eye when we were kids. They wore glasses that had a frosted lens instead of wearing eye patches. Its an option you might ask about if your daughter won't wear the patches. I don't think they wear glasses anymore and their lazy eye isn't noticeable.

that is why linda's sister put tape on the glasses

[DougM]

My daughter was 5 and in Kindergarten when she had to get glasses and wear a patch. It's helped her quite a bit. Every annual eye checkup is better and the glasses are a weaker prescription. Today she's able to wear contacts. Yeah, the kids at school picked on her too, but she toughed it out!

[kenf]

my right eye is 20/20. it's hard to discribe the bad one. you see everything kinda , but you cannot focus on anything. stange. when ever i was working with torch , saws , or just about anything that could hurt my right eye , i have to careful and wear safty glasses. hurt that eye and i would be blind.

[Bruce_45]

When I was a kid ( 8 yrs ) I liked to play with wood scrapes trying to build things, well I used a chisel to pry a peice of floor tile off one peice of wood and the tile chiped off and hit me
in my right eye, the doc said it hit the pupil and had to do surgery to repair it, well I never regained full sight in that eye
and as I got older it began to droop to the right, every once in awhile if I relaxe my vision I see dbl , I'm 45 now and have learned to live with it but I'm still bothered by it especilly when I have to look pl in the eye to talk to them, so I can relate to pl with the lazy eye thing, Thank you for leting me talk about my problem.

[Aurelia]

Yes, I have a lazy eye that wasn't discovered till I was about 8 and at that stage the optic nerve had closed up so it was too late. I amn't totally blind in it but it just doesn't function. At home I was from a large irish family so it wasn't picked up and at school when I was 5 I still remember the eye health inspector coming around but I cheated and read through splayed fingers as the nun would have killed us if we didnt read the board as she thought it really meant we didnt know our alphabet and that would have embarrassed her!

Anyhow, It doesn't bother me , I wear glasses occasionally, its not noticeable except in photographs or again if I am tired.

[anty]

My daughter has been wearing her glasses and her patch at home. Its hard we keep trying to force her to wear the patch. She hates the patch but we are trying our best :) anty

[betheny]

I remember buying rolls and rolls of tape, since mine would look around the patch. It's a challenge, keeping those eyeballs plugged in. Keep at her, you're doing the right thing!

[kenf]

like Beth said , keep at her. she has to understand how improtant it is.

[ergvepeog]

ok....here's the scoop:

Ophthalmology is my thing and there's a couple of things that are a "need to know":

1. 7 years old is "old" to start patching. In ophthalmology, patients are considered "visually mature" at 8-9 years.

2. If her eyes are "straight" (no eye turn in or out) then that's good.

3. kids will always fight patching but if you can patch full time that would be great. If not... then half time is better than nothing.

4. Patching may help but odds are against it... so don't feel too bad if it's not working.

5. For most drivers licenses... you only have to see 20/40 or better in one eye. With regards to other activities that depend on good stereo vision... it's usually a "wait and see".

If you have any questions or just need more info, feel free to PM me.

Best,

Sieg

[anty]

ok....here's the scoop:

Ophthalmology is my thing and there's a couple of things that are a "need to know":

1. 7 years old is "old" to start patching. In ophthalmology, patients are considered "visually mature" at 8-9 years.

2. If her eyes are "straight" (no eye turn in or out) then that's good.

3. kids will always fight patching but if you can patch full time that would be great. If not... then half time is better than nothing.

4. Patching may help but odds are against it... so don't feel too bad if it's not working.

5. For most drivers licenses... you only have to see 20/40 or better in one eye. With regards to other activities that depend on good stereo vision... it's usually a "wait and see".

If you have any questions or just need more info, feel free to PM me.

Best,

Sieg

Thank you so much Sieg, Her eyes are straight, she wears the glasses without the patch at school.
I have 1 question when should she get another eye checkup 6 mths or 1 yr. To see if her eye has gotten stronger. Thank you antoinette :)

[betheny]

Sieg-

Do you have an opinion of the exercise programs for eyes they try to sell us?

[Aurelia]

For the driving license in Ireland you need that 20/40 in one eye too but its okay if you can only achieve that 20/40 with glasses.