Amblyopia, often called lazy eye, happens when the brain learns to favour one eye and the other eye’s vision does not develop fully. The tricky part: the weaker eye usually looks completely normal.
The common causes are a difference in glasses power between the two eyes, a squint, or anything blocking clear vision early in life — such as a pediatric cataract.
Treatment combines the correct glasses with patching the stronger eye, training the weaker one to work. Results are best when treatment starts young, which is why early eye checks matter even when a child seems fine.
If a school screening, a photograph or a teacher raises a concern, do not wait — an examination is quick, gentle and gives a clear answer.