Seattle Office

2501 N. 45th Street

Seattle, WA 98103

(206) 526-5222

(206) 675-1460

Bellevue Office

12402 SE 38th St

Suite 203

Bellevue, WA 98006

(425) 454-0200

(425) 454-2345

Evaluation of Strabismus and Amblyopia

Strabismus and amblyopia are eye conditions which are both sometimes referred to as “lazy eye.”  Specialized testing is performed during the comprehensive eye examination to diagnose strabismus/amblyopia along with type, severity and treatment options. To evaluate for strabismus and amblyopia, you doctor will assess  eye tracking ability and movement, muscle action,  fixation and binocular vision.

In strabismus the two eyes do not always align with each other, with one eye maybe crossing inwards, wandering outward, or overall not always staying in straight alignment with the other eye. The degree and duration of strabismus are variable. Sometimes the deviation is slight or occasional but sometimes the deviation can be dramatic and nearly constant. It is important to evaluate and treat for strabismus as soon as possible because the misalignment may affect visual development in one or both eyes and prevent a child from developing normal binocular vision, an important component in depth perception or “3-D vision.”

Strabismus in children can be treated in several ways, including the use of glasses to bring the eyes into better alignment, patching or eye drops to strengthen control of the eyes, prism added to a glasses prescription and sometimes with surgical correction or other therapies.

In some cases, especially in young children, eyes may appear to be misaligned without having strabismus. Sometimes children may have facial features that may give the appearance of an eye misalignment but without a true muscular imbalance. This "false" appearance of eye misalignment is referred to as “pseudostrabismus.”

Adults with strabismus should also have regular exams to ensure that vision is stable, check for any changes in eye alignment and to manage any symptoms that may arise. Even with past surgical correction, adults with strabismus may experience new symptoms such as eye strain, double vision and vertigo. These symptoms can generally be well-managed with up-to-date glasses and contact lens prescriptions or sometimes with further surgery.

Amblyopia is a condition wherein one or both eyes are structurally normal but, for a variety of reasons, the brain does not “learn” to use the eye fully, thus producing blurred vision in the affected eye(s).

Amblyopia can be treated with the use of glasses and sometimes using an eye patch or eye drops on the stronger eye to condition the vision centers of the brain to “re-learn” how to use the weaker eye more fully. Amblyopia treatments are most effective in early childhood when the neurological system is more adaptable to changes.

There is evidence that some forms of strabismus and amblyopia can be hereditary. If you have a family history of either of these conditions, it is recommended to have your child seen to determine if they are at risk and to allow early intervention if needed.