The Basics of the Lazy Eye

Lazy eye is a common eye condition that many people have. According to Gary Markowitz, MD, "When eyes are misaligned or are not looking at the same place at the same time, it is a condition called strabismus, commonly referred to as "lazy eye." I have a friend who has a lazy eye. One eye always appears to be looking in a different direction than the other eye. If I just look at his lazy eye I can never tell where he is really looking at. From talking with him and doing research I learned what the cause of lazy eye is, who is likely to have lazy eye and the different treatments that are available for someone who has lazy eye.

Basically anyone can have lazy eye. However there are certain groups in the population who are more likely to have lazy eye. According to Gary Markowitz, MD, "Children born prematurely, children who are developmentally delayed, children with a family history of strabismus, and those with craniofacial (skull shape) abnormalities, just to name a few."

A popular myth about the lazy eye is that it is always a condition resulting from a problem with the eye's muscle. This is not always the case. Gary Markowitz, MD states, "Most of the time, the problem lies in the part of the brain that controls fusion, or keeping both eyes simultaneously directed toward the object of interest." There are two types of lazy eye condition that do stem from problems with the muscles of the eye. One is called paralytic strabismus, which is the poor functioning of the eye muscles. The other lazy eye condition is called restrictive strabismus, which results from tight eye muscles. A doctor would have to exam and perform tests to determine what lazy eye condition a person has.