Many our younger patients experience a lazy eye. It forms when vision in one eye is stifled. Vision might be suppressed if a child isn't able to see properly through one eye because of issues with distance vision, and in some cases, astigmatism. In addition to corrective glasses, a common treatment option includes patching your child's eye for a number of hours per day to stimulate sight in the lazy eye. Patching.
In some cases, it can be very challenging to have your son or daughter wear a patch, and even harder if they are too young to fully comprehend the concept. When their better eye is patched, it restricts their ability to see. It's a tricky conundrum- your child must cover their strong eye to better their weaker eye, but can't happen successfully unless their strong eye is patched, which temporarily limits their vision. There are a number of methods to encourage your child to wear their patch. Using a reward system with stickers can be successful for some kids. There are lots of ready-to-wear patches available in a cornucopia fun designs. Make it an activity by allowing them to select their patch each day and then putting a sticker on the chart when the patch is properly worn. Kids who are a little older will be able to intellectualize the patching process, so it's worthwhile to have a talk about it.
Flotation wings are also helpful when it comes to preventing younger patients from pulling their patches off.
A successful outcome needs your child's help and your ability to stay focused on the long-term goal of recovering good vision in your child's weaker eye.