Baker Vision Clinic

Call Us Today

(541) 523-5858

Open mobile navigation
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet the Optometrist
    • Meet The Staff
  • Eyecare Services
    • Ocular Disease
    • Ocular Trauma
    • State-of-the-Art Equipment
    • Spectacle Frame Services
    • Lens Services
    • Contact Lens
    • Pediatric Vision Care
    • Low Vision Rehab
    • Vision Therapy
  • Order Epionce Online
  • Contact Us
  • Registration
    • Online Forms
  • Frames Selection
  • Financial Services
  • Community Content
    • Common Eye Conditions
      • Age-Related
      • Eye Lids
      • Cognitive and Acquired
      • Vision Impairment
      • Injury & Irritation
      • Changes in Appearance
    • Contact Lenses
    • Eye Diseases
    • Eyeglasses
      • Eyeglass Lenses
    • Eye Symptoms
    • How the Eyes Work
      • Basic Visual Skills
    • Pediatric Vision
    • Protecting Your Eyes
    • Visual Rehabilitation
    • Vision Problems
    • What is Vision Therapy
    • Vision Therapy Programs
    • We Can Help With
      • Cataracts
      • Corneal Disorders
        • Disorders
      • Glaucoma
      • Refractive Disorders
      • Adult Strabismus
      • Retinal Disorders
    • Newsletters
      • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
      • Medical Perspectives
      • Kid's Vision
      • Conditions That Affect Vision
      • Tips for Healthy Eyes
      • Contacts
      • Glasses & Frames
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • Newsletters >
  • Conditions That Affect Vision >
  • All About Amblyopia

All About Amblyopia

  • Created in Newsletters, Conditions That Affect Vision
Image of girl with eye patch.

Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is a visual disorder caused by abnormal vision development, often occurring during infancy. Patients with amblyopia have reduced vision in one eye, because it is not working properly in conjunction with the brain.

With early detection and proper treatment, loss of vision can be avoided for many children. However, when left untreated, amblyopia can cause significantly decreased visual acuity — including legal blindness.

What Causes Amblyopia?

When one eye sees clearly and the other does not, the brain tries to overcompensate for the one that does not see as well. Essentially, the brain begins to ignore images sent from the eye that does not see as well as its counterpart. The brain begins to favor the stronger eye over the other, and the eye that is not being used properly develops increasingly poor visual acuity, becoming the amblyopic eye.

Amblyopia can be caused by a variety of pre-existing conditions that prevents the amblyopic eye from focusing clearly.

Types of Amblyopia

Common types of amblyopia include the following:

Strabismic amblyopia is the most common type of amblyopia and is caused by poorly aligned eyes. If one eye is misaligned, the brain ignores visual input from that eye. This causes underuse in the eye with poorer visual acuity, leading to amblyopia in that eye, or lazy eye.

Refractive amblyopia can occur despite perfect eye alignment. In this case, amblyopia is caused by unequal refractive errors in the eyes. For example, one eye may have uncorrected nearsightedness or farsightedness while the other eye does not. In these cases, the brain depends on the eye with the less severe uncorrected error to see, and ignores the images transmitted from the other eye. This causes amblyopia in the underused eye.

Deprivation amblyopia is amblyopia caused by something that obstructs light from entering a baby’s eye. A congenital cataract is frequently responsible for this form of amblyopia, and proper treatment is necessary to support continued visual development.

Treatment

Amblyopia is not correctable with glasses or contact lenses alone. However, vision therapy is often an appropriate treatment option.

Vision therapy involves an individualized treatment program that is designed to correct or improve visual deficiencies. Vision therapy includes different techniques and eye exercises (depending on the vision deficiency being treated), such as patching the stronger eye to force the brain to pay attention to signals transmitted from the amblyopic eye, eye alignment exercises and eye teaming activities, which help correct and enhance the brain’s ability to communicate with the eyes. It has been found to be far more successful in treating amblyopia than eye surgery or corrective glasses alone.

The earlier a child with amblyopia enters vision therapy, the better. Research has long since disproven the popular belief that older children or even adults with amblyopia cannot be helped; however, it is best to begin treating amblyopia as soon as possible.

  • Common Eye Conditions
    • Age-Related
    • Eye Lids
    • Cognitive and Acquired
    • Vision Impairment
    • Injury & Irritation
    • Changes in Appearance
  • Contact Lenses
  • Eye Diseases
  • Eyeglasses
    • Eyeglass Lenses
  • Eye Symptoms
  • How the Eyes Work
    • Basic Visual Skills
  • Pediatric Vision
  • Protecting Your Eyes
  • Visual Rehabilitation
  • Vision Problems
  • What is Vision Therapy
  • Vision Therapy Programs
  • We Can Help With
    • Cataracts
    • Corneal Disorders
      • Disorders
    • Glaucoma
    • Refractive Disorders
    • Adult Strabismus
    • Retinal Disorders
  • Newsletters
    • Amazing, Interesting Eyes
    • Medical Perspectives
    • Kid's Vision
    • Conditions That Affect Vision
    • Tips for Healthy Eyes
    • Contacts
    • Glasses & Frames

Registration Forms

Sign up here to learn more about us and our services.

Featured Links

Click to find out more

  • Services

    We strive to provide complete care for our patients/ learn more about all the services we provide.
    Learn More
  • Make An Appointment

    We will do our best to accommodate your busy schedule. Schedule an appointment today!
    Schedule Now
  • Online Forms

    Our patient forms are available online so they can be completed in the convenience of your own home or office.
    View Forms

Hours of Operation

*Monday-Thursday, we are closed from 12pm -1pm

Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-2:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Locations

Find us on the map

Testimonials

Reviews From Our Satisfied Patients

  • "Great staff and awesome doctors! I would recommend sending your children here. Also the place to go for adults. If you want your eye care needs met correctly, check out Baker Vision Clinic. There's nowhere else to go!"
    Meaghan C. - Baker City, OR

Featured Articles

Read up on informative topics

  • Vision Loss and Mental Health

    Feeling depressed after vision loss? ...

    Read More
  • Treatment Options for Presbyopia

    Over 40 and finding it hard to see close-up? One of these presbyopia treatment options could improve your vision. ...

    Read More
  • Summertime Allergies and Your Eyes

    Do you know how to treat your summertime eye allergy symptoms? ...

    Read More
  • Signs You May Have Macular Degeneration

    Could changes in your central vision be caused by macular degeneration? ...

    Read More
  • Glaucoma and You: The Importance of Eye Exams

    Want to avoid vision loss due to glaucoma? Schedule a visit with the eye doctor. ...

    Read More
  • Important Healthy Eye Habits for Kids

    Want to keep your kids' eyes as healthy as possible? Try these tips. ...

    Read More
  • Healthy Vision Month

    Get ready for Healthy Vision Month by upgrading your vision habits. ...

    Read More
  • Presbyopia eye drops

    Would you like to stop squinting when you look at close objects? A new kind of eyedrops can improve presbyopia, an age-related vision problem. ...

    Read More
  • Dry Eye

    Sometimes your eyes don’t make enough tears or the tears evaporate too fast because they don’t have the right amount of compounds in them. This is called dry eye. Up to 5% of Americans complain of some form of dry eye. Individuals who wear contact lenses or have undergone LASIK or other types of ...

    Read More
  • Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

    Similar to a bruise under the skin, a subconjunctival hemorrhage happens when a small blood vessel located between the sclera (white portion of an eye) and the conjunctiva (lining on the surface of an eye) breaks and covers the sclera with blood. Unlike broken blood vessels located under the skin which ...

    Read More

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for more articles

Social Media

  • Copyright © 2022 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • Site Map