“Does vision therapy work for a lazy eye?”
I am a 25 year old male and I have a lazy eye. Does vision therapy work for a lazy eye?
12 Answers
Not a fan of the results of vision therapy for treating a lazy eye. Usually unsuccessful.
Yes. If you continue your treatment after initial evaluation
No
To my knowledge, there isn’t any evidence that vision therapy/training has any benefit for an eye with strabismus, commonly referred to as a, “lazy eye.” There are some optometrists that do advocate for it, but I don’t think there is any real science behind it. The only real way to improve a misaligned eye is with surgery, or if you’re asymptomatic, then simple observation my be all that is necessary.
Hope that helps. If you have any additional questions, I recommend making an appointment with an ophthalmologist to discuss your condition, and/or any treatment that may be available to you.
Regards,
Eric Downing MD
Hope that helps. If you have any additional questions, I recommend making an appointment with an ophthalmologist to discuss your condition, and/or any treatment that may be available to you.
Regards,
Eric Downing MD
This is a touchy question. First, please check your definition of lazy eye. Amblyopia (best vision worse than 20/20), with or without strabismus (eyes not straight). Most ophthalmologists will point out that there are few, if any, high-quality peer-reviewed studies demonstrating any benefit of "vision therapy" or other "eye exercises", except in cases of convergence insufficiency. Many optometrists like it, though, and it's taught in schools of optometry. In the case of a 25 yo with only amblyopia +/- strasbismus, no one should be claiming that any therapy of any type would improve the amblyopia. It's also very unlikely that any exercise would improve strabismus. My advice: it wouldn't hurt to try, but it's your money, spend with care.
No. Amblyopia is the medical term for lazy eye, and it can only be effectively treated prior to age 10 or so, by partially occluding or blurring the vision in the good eye to restore neural connections to the “lazy” eye. Eyeglasses may also be needed at the same time. After age 10, there is limited plasticity remaining in the visual cortex.
Mark F. Pyfer, MD
Mark F. Pyfer, MD
Vision therapy may help straighten the eye, but is unlikely to improve the vision.
Alan J. Franklin, MD, PhD
Alan J. Franklin, MD, PhD
In some cases it is helpful; you should ask you eye care practitioner if it may be helpful in your case.
No, not after the age 9. And before you're 9, you have to patch the dominant eye.
Dr. LMJ
Dr. LMJ
Not to my knowledge. SO
Unfortunately, vision therapy only works for lazy eye if done in the early years of life--perhaps before 6 years of age.
No
