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Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)

Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) - Causes and Risk Factors

What causes amblyopia (lazy eye)?

Conditions that interfere with the focusing of vision during early childhood can cause amblyopia. These include:
  1. Refractive errors: This is the most common cause of amblyopia in Singapore. Refractive errors that might result in amblyopia include high myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism or a significant difference in spectacle degree requirements between each eye (anisometropia). When vision is poor in an eye due to refractive errors, the brain ignores that eye and vision will not develop properly.

  2. Strabismus: The misalignment of eyes, in which one eye may focus straight ahead while the other turns in, out, up, or downwards. To avoid seeing double, the child's brain may ignore the image from the misaligned eye, leading to amblyopia.

  3. Droopy eyelids or early-onset cataract: Blocked vision due to these conditions can cause deprivational amblyopia.


Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) - Preparing for surgery

Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) - Post-surgery care

The information provided is not intended as medical advice. Terms of use. Information provided by SingHealth

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