Does your son or daughter have a lazy eye? Amblyopia develops when the brain switches off or suppresses sight in one eye. This might happen if your child struggles to see well through one eye due to issues with distance vision, and in some cases, astigmatism. Usually, an eye patch is recommended in the treatment of lazy eyes. Our patients are told to have their patch on for several hours a day, and often the patients need eye glasses as well. So how does wearing a patch actually help? Well, for the most part, employing the use of an eyepatch helps your brain to better communicate with the weaker eye, eventually strengthening how well it functions.
Often, moms and dads find it really hard to fit their kids with eye patches, especially if they're on the younger side. When their good eye is patched, it restricts their ability to see. It's a tricky notion- your child needs to patch their eye to help the eyesight in their weaker eye, but this can only be done when their better eye is covered, which temporarily limits their sight. There are quite a few methods that make eyepatches a bit funner for kids to wear. Implementing a reward system with stickers given when the patch is worn can be great for some kids. Patch manufacturers understand your plight; patches are made in loads of kid-friendly colors and patterns. Take advantage of all the options and make it fun by giving them the chance to choose a different patch every day and then putting a sticker on the chart when the patch stays on. For kids who are a little older, explain the importance of patching, and talk about it as an effective way to help their vision in the long term.
Flotation wings are also helpful when it comes to preventing young children from removing their patches.
Patches are great and can be really successful, but it really requires your child's cooperation and your ability to stick to the long-term goal of restoring good vision in your child's weaker eye.
