Turned Eye & Lazy Eye
Identifying and managing vision issues during childhood is a cornerstone of lifelong ocular health. At Acuity Eyecare, our clinical team specialises in the detection and treatment of both a turned eye and a lazy eye. These conditions, while distinct, often occur together and require a tailored management plan to ensure a child develops the necessary visual skills for school, sports, and daily life.
What is a Turned Eye?
A turned eye, known clinically as strabismus, is a condition where the eyes are not properly aligned. Instead of both eyes focusing on the same object simultaneously, one eye may drift inwards, outwards, upwards, or downwards.
This misalignment is typically caused by poor coordination between the extraocular muscles or a significant difference in the refractive power between the two eyes. When a turned eye is present, the brain receives two conflicting images. To prevent double vision, the brain may eventually choose to ignore the signal from the misaligned eye, which can lead to further developmental complications.
What is a Lazy Eye?
A lazy eye, or amblyopia, occurs when the neurological pathway between the brain and the eye fails to develop correctly during the "critical period" of childhood. While a turned eye is a physical alignment problem, a lazy eye is a functional deficit where the vision remains blurry even with the best possible glasses.
If a turned eye is left untreated, it often becomes a lazy eye because the brain "shuts down" that eye's input to maintain a single, clear image. However, it is important to understand that a lazy eye can also occur without any visible turn; if one eye has a much higher prescription than the other, the brain will naturally favour the clearer eye, leaving the other to fall behind in its visual development.
Management & Treatment at Acuity Eyecare
The primary goal of treating a turned eye or a lazy eye at Acuity Eyecare is to restore binocularity. This is the essential "visual teamwork" that allows both eyes to merge their separate images into one. Without this coordination, a child may lack 3D depth perception (stereopsis), making it significantly more difficult to judge distances, navigate stairs safely, or excel in ball sports.
Because the visual system is most adaptable during early childhood, the younger a child is when treatment begins, the more successful the outcome usually is. Depending on the underlying cause of the turned eye or lazy eye, our optometrists may recommend:
Prescription Glasses
In many cases, simply correcting a refractive error like long-sightedness can reduce the internal strain that causes a turned eye to pull out of alignment and helps restore focus.
Vision Therapy
These are specialised, evidence-based exercises designed to improve eye-tracking, focusing, and the brain's ability to use both eyes together as a team for effective 3D depth perception
Patching Therapy
By temporarily covering the "stronger" eye, we encourage the brain to re-engage with the lazy eye. This "muscle memory" for the brain helps strengthen visual acuity over time.
Surgical Consultation
If the misalignment is severe, surgery on the eye muscles may be required to physically straighten a turned eye. This is often followed by vision therapy to ensure long-term eye stability.