4 yo DD lazy eye

[BenHolland]

Hi all!

Just had DD’s eyes tested and the left is a lazy eye. Got a referral to an eye hospital.

Does anyone have experience of this? What can we expect?

thanks all as usual!!!!

Does she have a squint too?

My dd got glasses at 18 months due to a squint and her left eye being lazy (eyesight is poorer in that eye). She had some patching treatment where the patch is put over the good eye to force the poorer eye to work properly.

She is quite long sighted so she still has glasses now (she's nearly 21)

DD does have a slight squint in her left eye actually. So do I so maybe genetic. I probably need glasses too but never bothered.

Glasses and a patch sound like a good solution. I’m was worried it was something more complicated than just an eye issue!

Thanks for the feedback!

Did she get a glasses prescription?
Lazy eye and squints can often be caused by a sight issue e.g. long/short sight

I had a lazy eye as a child and they did the glasses and patching with me and I also had an operation (back in the 80s) where the surgeons straightened my squint.
I was about 4 or 5 when I had that operation and by the age of 7, I didn't need glasses anymore.
However by my 30s my squint has returned but pointing the other way and in that eye, I have sight issues (longsighted), so I have to wear glasses again, but wearing the glasses is also straightening my squint too.
I only found out because I took an adhoc decision to book an eyetest and it was the best thing I could have done.

I totally recommend a proper eye test on each individual eye, including the "Air Test" if they offer it (to test pressure in the eye) and glasses and patching.

To be honest, I think my squint had slowly come back long before I actually noticed it as I did used to have the embarrassment of people asking "Are you talking to me?", so I can't honestly say how long my operation had been "successful" for but I do remember that recovery was very painful and disorientating as I was temporarily blind after it.

They''d probably offer laser treatments rather than the old-fashioned operation I had though.

My youngest DS had glasses and a patch for approx 12 months. This didn’t completely fix the issue and he had an operation when he was 6.

He’s now 7 and, about 15 months on from
the operation, It’s completely fine!

Ds was born with 2 inwardly turning eyes , which get worse when he is tired . He has had hospital appointments until last year when he was 8 . He can now sense when it happens and can consciously correct them . The hospital told us that they are reluctant to operate as there is a high probability of over correction. When he is older he can choose to have regular Botox injections in hospital to correct the muscles if he wants to . However , he has got so good at correcting it I hardly notice. Hospital said he will likely notice it more when he is older if he is either very tired or drunk !

My dd did also have a an eye op age around 4 as her squint was still present with her glasses on. She still squints when her glasses are off or when she's tired but it's mostly corrected with her specs on

Thanks for all the feedback!

Full Eye test at the hospital will be planned soon enough and i will update. They said glasses and / or a patch is the first option.

Sounds like there are several options to fix it at a young age which is great to hear!

Really hope it goes well - and don't forget that huge medical advances have happened since I had my operation over 40 years ago, so although my particular operation was painful for recovery and wasn't permanent, certainly doesn't mean that's the case any longer.

I still don't regret that my parents decided to agree to the operation because it meant that I spent most of my childhood and all of my teens and 20s without glasses or eye problems at all. In my case, the surgeon tied the muscle in my eye and it could simply be that after 40 years, the muscle structure has changed, so I hope my experience doesn't make you question an operation if offered,

Will do whatever the experts advise. And i agree that operations have come a long way! Lets see 🙏

Patching helped us, but we also used a vision therapy program called amblyoplay that made a big difference. It’s like games for the eyes, and my son liked it. So much easier to stick with!

You’ve got this, and I’m happy to share more if it helps. 😊

Thanks!! Will have a look for that game.

Just a follow up! Right eye is +9 on the scale so pretty bad! Glasses ordered and we will see what to do!

That is a high prescription!
What is her left eye prescription value?

+1 for the other eye. Probably a lazy eye and will have a follow up in a few months! Amazing we have not noticed anything!

Your dd would not know any different and the eyes compensate so it would be hard to know that anything was wrong without an eye test.

Amazing how she has compensated!