Patching Treatment
In general, the main treatment for amblyopia is occlusion therapy, in which the child must wear a patch over the stronger eye to force him/her to use the weaker eye (amblyopic eye). It can take weeks or months, and sometimes longer. Typically, an adhesive patch is used for treating amblyopia, but sometimes a cloth patch can be placed over the child’s glasses, if he/she wears glasses. In some cases, special filters can also be applied to glasses to blur the stronger eye.
Eye Drops
Instead of an eye patch, doctors can use drops (like atropine) in the stronger eye. The eye drops dilate the pupil and cause blurred vision in the stronger eye. This forces the weaker eye (amblyopic eye) to work harder. This treatment is also called “penalization” therapy.
Glasses
If one eye is blurry because it needs help to focus, glasses can make the picture clear. Sometimes glasses alone will not be enough to treat amblyopia and patching or eye drops will also be needed.
Surgery
If something blocks vision (like a droopy eyelid or cataract) or if the eyes are very crossed (inwards or outward), surgery may be needed to fix the problem. Then, pathing therapy, eye drops or glasses may be needed.
Digital Therapy
Digital therapy is the newest approach to treating amblyopia. Instead of suppressing one eye—as is done with patching therapy or atropine drops—it focuses on training both eyes to work together. While digital therapy typically is not a full replacement for traditional treatments, it can serve as a valuable complement. This category includes Dichoptic Therapy as well as the FDA approved virtual reality–based therapy.