AMBLYOPIA / LAZY EYE

Amblyopia is the medical term for poor development of vision in one eye. The word comes from the Greek. [ambly- (dull) + -opia (vision)] Amblyopia is often referred to as "lazy eye." It affects just two to three percent of the population.

Central vision does not develop properly, usually in one eye, which is called amblyopic. The eye is anatomically normal, but visual acuity is reduced even with glasses. Amblyopia develops sometime between birth and 8 or 9 years of age, the critical period of time when the visual system develops and matures. Amblyopia causes more visual loss in the age group under 40 than all the injuries and diseases combined.