In a healthy visual system, both eyes work in harmony to provide a single, clear image of the world. This is called binocular vision.
Amblyopia, often referred to as lazy eye, is a condition where one or both eyes have decreased sharpness of vision that is not correctable by spectacles. The brain may choose to ignore the blurry image from the amblyopic eye and favour the image from the unaffected eye. If untreated, this can result in permanent vision loss in the affected eye.
Amblyopia can occur for several reasons, including:
- Severe long-sightedness (hyperopia), short-sightedness (myopia), or astigmatism
- Different vision strengths in each eye
- Genetics or developmental delays
- Drooping eyelids or cataracts
In some cases, amblyopia is caused by strabismus (misalignment of the eyes), where the brain suppresses the image from the misaligned eye.