lazy eye

disorder

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "lazy eye" is a common name for the medical condition amblyopia. This disorder occurs when one eye has reduced vision because the brain suppresses the input from that eye. This suppression happens when there are unequal visual signals from each eye, often due to conditions like strabismus (misaligned eyes) or anisometropia (unequal refractive errors).12

If left untreated, the visual acuity in the affected eye can become permanently poor. The brain's "solution" to the unequal signals is to ignore the input from one eye, which can lead to a significant decline in vision in that eye.2

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amblyopia
…forcing the use of the weaker eye, often by carefully covering the stronger eye with a patch. However, despite the availability of effective treatments, amblyopia remains a major cause of childhood-onset reduced vision. Vision screening is an essential means of identifying children at risk of developing amblyopia.
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…forcing the use of the weaker eye, often by carefully covering the stronger eye with a patch. However, despite the availability of effective treatments, amblyopia remains a major cause of childhood-onset reduced vision. Vision screening is an essential means of identifying children at risk of developing amblyopia.
Read More