If your child has a lazy eye (amblyopia), she will not receive images through one of their eyes, and therefore a clear image will not be received by their brain. A lazy eye is caused by one of her eyes not being able to focus properly. Her other eye will often make up for the problems in the affected eye, resulting in one eye becoming ‘lazy’.
If your child has lazy eye, she may not notice that there is a problem. Therefore, a lazy eye is often not diagnosed until the child has their first eye test.
As the affected eye is not able to send clear, sharp images to the brain, the main symptom of a lazy eye is blurred, or double, vision. Some children may also have a noticeable squint (where the eye turns inwards, outwards, upwards, or downwards), a droopy eyelid, or a cataract (clouding of the lens of the eye).
Learn more about the causes of lazy eye.
