Here’s an interesting news item. Is anyone reading this that has used it? An article entitled Treatment seems to Help Adults With Lazy Eye published at Forbes says a “new treatment developed by the University of Southern California (USC) and three Chinese universities” may help adults with amblyopia.
The article goes on to say, “The new treatment involves training the patients to detect a small gabor, a set of contrasting ovals.” An average of 70% improvement in vision of adults with amblyopia was reported, with no improvement in those without amblyopia.
Especially interesting is that info says it may be developed as a home training program. Of course there is the issue of how much it will cost and if insurance will cover it. I’m sure the bottom line for each will be, will it work for me?
Hello everyone.Hope your all well and keeping in high spirits.I am travelling to Nottingham UK on 9th feb to hopefully take part in the trial.I shall keep you all informed.It seems like there is some progress being made around europe and the world in terms of a possible amblyopia treatment and that is very encouraging for me personally and i’m sure for everyone else. Be lucky!
I have had amblyopia in my left eye as long as I can remember. I was wearing glasses at age 10 yrs – 13yrs old to correct the problem. However, as a teenager I quit wearing my glasses & my left eye got worse again. Last year I had problems with the vision in my right (good eye). I went to the eye doctor & he not only prescribed lens for my right eye but for my left eye as well. So now I’m back trying to correct the problem of amblyopia once again. My eye doctor told me that there have been adults with amblyopia that have had an accident to where the vision in the good eye was lost. Those people have found out that within a few years, the eye with amblyopia started to improve.
I was also told that some people don’t like it when they start to get vision back in their bad eye because people who see with one eye see differently than with people who have vision in both eyes. He told me that he has had people come back to him once their bad eye started to see better & wanted the correction reversed because they didn’t like the change. So there’s a thought to those of you who want their vision corrected.
Good luck with your travel and testing Ryan.
Linda, you bring up an interesting point. I suppose that there would be a period of double vision while the eyes were learning to work together. When my good eye gets stressed sometimes i will get double vision and it is horrible and causes head aches. However, i think that once you get through that then it would be a wonderful blessing.
I know that it sounds small, but it would be cool to be able to do a magic eye someday or golf by myself and not loose a bunch of golf balls because i don’t know if they went in front of a tree or behind a tree down range.
Good point though, definitely something to think about as things progress.
Welcome to the site!
Hi
I now realise my story is a familiar one. I was always aware that I had uneven vision in my eyes but I never did anything about it. Now I am 29 and know that when I am tired or drunk my eye turns – I don’t even know which way I just know it doesn’t feel right. I am worried about it getting worse.
Like all of you, I am searching for a cure because it actually scares me to think that this untreatable and will keep deteriorating. Has anyone had success with the computer programs that have been mentioned on this site?
I would love to hear any recommendations.
Cheers, Megan
Good luck Ryan
Wow, I just came across this site, after being turned down for any law enforcement jobs due to my amblyopia. My bad eye is my left eye, and I do experience the ‘blackening’ part of it. I don’t know exactly, but I believe my left eye is 20/100 or so. I am eagerly awaiting any possible treatments or cures for this problem. Kudos to Ryan for participating in the study. I hope we find something out. I’m almost 26 and have had it since I can remember. I wore a patch on and off, but it was after age 9. I too, would do anything to have good vision in both eyes. I also find it hard to believe that it only affects 2.5% of population, as my uncle has it, and a buddy of mine at work has it. Very odd.
I was diagnosed with Amblyopia in my left eye at the age of 36. I have been wearing glasses since the second grade. I never knew there was the potential for me to get this disease. When I began complaining to my eye doctor about loss of color in my vision he responded with giving me eye drops he said I had “dry eyes”. I wish that’s all I had. I needed a second opinion and after five minutes in the chair he diagnosed me and my world changed instantly… The strange part is that after about two weeks of darkness in my left eye the vision retruned with color so I thought they were wrong but it went again. Each day I research on the internet looking for inspiration. This disease affects me when I am walking in an airport, when I am at work.I try to remember at least you have one eye stil functioning but when you have something and it is no longer ther you miss it and I am truly seeking a way to cope a way to survive and keep my job. At work people thingk I am ignoring them when they approach me from the left. I feel bad but I know if the truth was out I might be released from my position. I have worked so hard to get this position. Sometimes when I place my hand over one eye and hold my eye in a particular positon I can see things with my left eye. Is this normal? I am seeking hope and I thank this site for allowing me to vent..
I’m 19 years old and have had the lazy eye my whole life. Like most, I tried patching, but nothing came of it. I also see black “splotches” when covering up my left (good) eye. I have considered patching it myself for half an hour or so a day. Has anyone tried this? If so, has it helped, and is there any chance at making my good eye worse?
Thanks
Welcome Nadine,Brian & Megan.
Nadine – I work in Human Resources and I was wondering why you believe that your amblyopia will cause you to lose your job. Is good vision a requirement? Could reasonable accommodations not be made to allow you to stay in the position?
-Joe
First, I’d just like to say that it’s really nice to have a site like this where we could all get together and share our feelings/knowledge on this subject. So thanks to all those making it possible!
So…I’m 27 years old and have amblyopia in my left eye. It was caught too late when I was a child, so from what the doctors tell me it’s now a permanent condition. Every day I pray that a cure is discovered…I really hate living my life always wondering what it’s like to see out of both eyes and wondering what I’m missing.
I’m not sure of my exact vision in that eye (I’m actually going to the eye doctor this week), but if I cover my good eye, everything is basically a blur in my bad eye. The best way to explain it is that I can see that things are there, and could tell what color they are for the most part, but I can’t always tell what they are unless it’s big or a common item. When it comes to an eye chart or reading, forget it, I can’t even make out the big E on the first line, haha. It really is rather depressing!
Here’s a question I haven’t really seen anyone talking about. Do you guys seem to get really tired alot?? I ALWAYS feel tired the past few years, and as much as I try to tell myself it’s something else, I really believe its my eyes (I also tried almost every other thing it could be to no avail). I feel like since my good eye is using double the strength to make up for the bad eye, it’s causing my eyes to become very tired which in effect is causing me to become very tired. I don’t even remember the last time I could actually say I went a day feeling alive and awake. It’s really very frustrating and I was wondering if anyone else experiences something like this?
So that’s my story….hopefully one day SOON there will be a cure for us all! I’ll continuing researching as much as possible and will continue checking in and helping out on this site as much as I can. If anyone has any suggestions or just wants to chat, please email me at rlesposito@gmail.com
hi guys, well since i last posted on here there have been quite a few developments. it seems that my eyesight is 20/20 so i am not amblyopic i just am not able to use both eyes at the same time. however, i recently came across the story of “stereo sue” (link posted below) she was 50 when she decided to try vision therapy exercises. within 3 weeks she was noticing objects popping out at her like never before. i really recommend you read the article and listen to the audio clip. it really does show that if an eye doctor says there is little that they can do for you that you should never give up hope and keep searching for alternatives, hope this helps some of you out there. based on this i managed to find an optometrist in northern england who is happy to help me with the vision therapy she said it just requires alot of dedication.
here is the link to the story. keep the faith guys!!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5507789
Joe that is a good question. At my job accuracy is everything so if I tried to break out a magnifying glass or anything that looked as though I can not see I might be in trouble. There is no position that you really do not use your eyes. When I was hired they stressed accuracy and speed. As of now I have no errors against me and I strive to keep it that way.My typing has slowed to much slower pace because its hard to read others writing. It would be great if HR worked for me but I just do not believe it would so I keep my issues to myself.. It’s the what if that scares me the most.
there is a doctor in long beach I believe can help you. her website is straighteyes.com good luck.
Welcome Rob! I to get tired very easily as well. If I get comfortable on the couch or in a chair then I am out. Also, I have a horrible time staying awake while driving a car, especially at night. My wife thinks that I am just being a baby, but I literally cannot stay awake. It is pretty scary. My wife and I like to watch movies and I would say that I have fallen asleep during probably 80% of the movies since we were in our teens (very frustrating).
I had never really thought about it being contributed to my eyes until now. I will be sure to ask my eye doctor about this next time.
Welcome Again!
-Joe
Nadine,
With your record of accuracy, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, you need to do what you feel is right in your situation.
Good luck,
-Joe
David,
Thanks for the website.
Everyone,
My Amblyopia (lazy eye) was not associated with strabismus (turning or crossing of the eye). That is why my condition was never caught.
I have 2 questions for everyone:
1.) Was your Amblyopia associated with Strabismus?
2.) Does anyone have a child afflicted with Amblyopia as well? I have a 2 year old son and a daughter on the way. Does anyone know how likely my children will be to have this?
-Joe
You’re welcome, Joe. But my name is Lois, not David
I don’t have amblyopia but I do have exotropia (strabismus). It is alternating exotropia so both eyes see but struggle to focus together, thus not amblyopia.
My son has a mild occasional exotropia, and his son (my grandson) has occasional exotropia also. My daughter and her daughter (my granddaughter) did not inherit it.
My father also had alternating exotropia.
Lois
Joe, I have no doubt that my strabismus contributes to tiredness and sleepiness, but I blamed it all on my eyes as you are doing. I had tests for sleep apnea a couple years ago and discovered that I have severe sleep apnea related to an old jaw injury. Sleep apnea can be due to other things too, though, including problems with the soft palate and nasal passages. CPAP for the sleep apnea made a big difference for me.
Please see your physician about what might be causing your sleep problem. Sleep apnea can be dangerous.
Lois
I have been asking myself where to go for tratment or surgery to correct strabismus in Kenya. Please please inform me and save a life!! Thanx!
Richard, you you can find links to help under “Vision-related Organizations in the sidebar at the right of this page. I’ll give you the links here you should use, but if you misplace them, they are the “find vision therapy dr.” links.
The COVD (Optometric vision therapy doctors) link is:
http://www.covd.org/DoctorSearchResults/tabid/69/Default.aspx?adv=1
Type in Kenya or any area to find doctors near you who can offer vision therapy for your strabismus.
I’m also told that the OEP link has an international search, but I couldn’t find it. I’m going to inquire further and will add it under the “find vision therapy dr.” links if I find it.
——————
The International Council of Ophthalmology link is:
http://www.icoph.org/pub/find.html
Click the first link on that page, titled “Contact your national or local ophthalmologic society,” to learn how to search for eye surgeons and ophthalmologists in your area.
————-
I suggest you talk with both a COVD Optometrist and an Ophthalmologic surgeon if possible. They approach things differently, and you should know what is available, what the risks are, and what is involved in each before you make a decision.
Also, check the links in the top sidebar. You’ll find information about our email support group there, and if you join that group you will be able to ask questions of many people who have had surgery and/or vision therapy. There is also a very helpful COVD Optometric doctor who shares information there sometimes.
Hope this helps,
Lois
To Ryan: Could you give your e-mail?
hello Ryan,
I can also control which eye is dominant. I thought that everybody has this. I look with left than with right. It is exhausting.
Mirthe
hi. i’ve been given a brock string, some 3d glasses and charts and some glasses with a suitable prism in to help even my eyes out. been doing this 3 weeks and i’m noticing little changes already. doing the exercises at least once a day.
dcksry@aol.com
I have amblopyia in my right eye. I was diagnosised as a child and failed eye patching. I am now 35 and my vision strain is affecting my normal activities. I am pretty much legally blind in my right eye and have all but lost hope in improvement. I have considered eye therapy, but all the eye Docotors I have seen say that it will not do much to improve the right eye and is not worth the expense. I really want to be able to see normally. As an avid reader, I have decreased my reading because of the severe eye strain. It also affects the tasks I can do for my career. Has any one with very severe lazy eye improved their vision as an adult with eye therapy?
Im a 40 year old man and have amblyopia in my left eye. I had surgery when I was 3 years old. It looks ok cosmetically but when I get tired or use my eyes in anyway it will easily tire and turn.
I always hated my bad eye. I find it to be very embarrassing even though most the time it looks ok. But as soon as I do anything it will turn. I tried patching when I was younger but I dont think I kept using the patch enough because I didnt like using it as a child.
Recently I did vision therapy for about a year and it did help wake up the eye some but it didnt really do much. I still cant control my eye.
Does anyone know what can help adult amblyopia?
Has anyone had any success in improving your bad eye?
Please if you had success Id really like to know.
Thanks!
HI
I have heard about new treatment called rTMS based on a new research from Dr. Ben Thompson, a post-doctoral fellow working with Dr. Robert Hess at the McGill Vision Research Unit.
Any one tried or knew about this treatment.
Thanks.
Hi everyone, I was diagnosed with amblyopia for quite sometime. Since the age of 1 I have had surgery to correct my strabismus, however patching was unsuccessful. At the age of 12-13 I started therapy again ( Patching and other vision therapy exercises ) there has been improvement but not alot. Now I am 24 and I still have amblyopia. My doctor suggested surgery to correct my strabismus along with doing vision therapy…..Has anyone tried this before? My doctor mentioned that with the therapy ( some of it envolving computers and watching tv ) can cause my brain to see one picture and to eventually use both eyes. On the other hand many doctors have said nothing can be done……I have no idea what to do next…any thoughts?
Hi everyone,
I am 25 year old, and I have a “lazy eye” since I was 3 years. When I was a child I try eye patching without any significant results.
I found a new treatment, maybe this is THE ONE, or again, maybe not…
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622152035.htm
It’s very frustrating in life to try to to something and other people look at you differently. I’ve lost many opportunities in life because of this and I understand each and everyone of you.
I don’t know how important is this to you, but to me, when I go to sleep, in a dream, I NEVER, once in this life have this problem. I try to associate dream sequence with brain dynamical neurological processes. I will keep you posted with what I discover.
If anyone will want to talk… tetro@gmx.com
Keep hope alive!
Does anyone else have any information on the article posted by Tetro? I would love to try this new program!!!
I emailed Dr. Polat from the above article.
I am keeping my fingers crossed for positive response.
I will keep you all updated.
Thank you Tetro!
I have had amblyopia in the right eye since 4 years old. I did the patching till I was 10 years old – this did not work though. I am now 33 years old and am starting to have severe headaches. I am also having a really hard time driving – the sensitivity of light and getting so sleepy have made it almost impossible to drive. My “bad” eye is now starting to droop and get very red most days – to the point people are asking me about it all the time. I wear a contact in my good eye – but, it too seems to get very red and irritated come 6PM – most nights I just end up going to be because I have such a headache. I am starting to feel anxiety due to this…does anyone else feel that way?
hi,
i m 26 yrs old suffering from amblyopia in left eye since birth.i have visited many doctors arond india but hope less. is there any one around this world who can treat this to some extent.if am very thankful to the information senders.dinesh_lucky31@yahoo.com.
Hi,
am 26 Saudi female,,suffering from lazy eye since 2 years old,, did the patch n surgery, all didnt work,, i have question, does amblyopia condition get worse growing up? does the appearance of the lazy eye is normal?
Thanks all of sharing ur experiences,, it helped alot
My spouse was in severe car accident resulting in major brain trauma. She is doing incredibly better and at this time it is limited primarily by small memory issues and Strimbisimus. She has had surgery and now wears a prism. I always hope that more research will be done. Do you have a name of a good research project for donations and a person to write to encourage stem cell research? Joanne is my inspiration and amazes me daily.
Hi, Joe. I asked an COVD Optometrist in our Eyes Apart email support group, who does research in Israel, about the item Tetro mentioned. He says, “This is not so new any more as it has been around for about 8 years already. It is basically a method of treating amblyopia by having the patient view a series of (Guassian) images on a computer. It has had some success although in my view it is only one additional tool and not a cure all.”
He is concerned that people continue to state that “doctors have always felt that Amblyopia cannot be treated after age 6 or age 8. This was the viewpoint of Ophthalmology it was NEVER the viewpoint of Doctors of Optometry,” he writes.
Lois
Found another article about Levodopa for those who want to take it…
http://www.iovs.org/cgi/reprint/33/9/2722.pdf
Thank you Lois.
Tetro, thank you for the article. It looks like this is from 1992, which is before I found out about my anisometropic amblyopia. I wonder what ever happened with this…..
I thought that it might be nice to give a link to the amblyopic wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amblyopia
Also, I looked up the “Levodopa” drug that is discussed in the article that Tetro posted. Seems to be a drug used for Parkinson’s disease.
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/levodopa.html
Does anyone know where if the is somewhere in central Missouri that does the computerized vision therapy?
Joe maybe this links will help you:
http://www.optometrists.org/drsutter/index.html
http://www.drdibler.com/index.html
Found another treatment for adult amblyopia, this time in Canada…
http://www.themedguru.com/articles/treatment_for_adult_amblyopia_in_sight_with_magnetic_therapy-8616482.html
If someone get in contact with those guys, please let me know.
Hey, in my day to day search I found this laser based instrument for home use.
http://www.ya-queen.com/ophthalnicare.html
Does anyone use this instrument? The results are very attractive.
I think I will buy one for home application and see the results.
[I've updated this response a couple comments down...see here:
http://www.eyesapart.com/2006/01/05/adult-amblyopia-treatment/comment-page-3/#comment-39546
]
Tetro, I have never seen this laser instrument before, but I urge extreme caution. It raises many red flags for me.
First, I see no indication that it is sanctioned by any Optometric or Ophthalmic eye doctor, or any recognized Occular organization. But even if it were, I’d suggest extend your research to be sure the group or dr. is truly supported by a legitimate organization such as AOA or AAO (see our sidebar for links).
Second, we are talking about a laser here. Lasers are damaging, especially to the eyes. In laser surgeries, special eyeware must be worn to protect everyone in the room from the laser beam.
Thirdly, you should always ask your Optometrist or Ophthalmologist before using any home device.
Fourthly, there are many scams out there devised to get your $$ without concern of any damage they may do to your eyes or body.
Fifth, I do not know where this company originates, but the phone prefix listed at the bottom and the name of the company both sound like it is not in America. There are many wonderful and legitimate companies in other countries. But scams seem to be more prevalent from some overseas countries. Not knowing where the origin is, I can only say that brings another red flag for me.
I did not see a price or way to order, so you would have to email or phone them for details. Likely they would be asking you to provide credit card and other personal info in order to purchase. That’s yet more red flags for me.
Be careful.
Lois
Lois
+86 is China!! Run!!! heheh.
thanks, Costas. I had no idea where the origin.
Also, I asked Dr. Ken Koslowe, an Optometrist doing research in Israel who is also active in our online support group (linked at top right of this page) about this device. Dr. Koslowe wrote that it
“was discovered by Dr. Uri Polat in Israel about 10 years ago. A company already exists (NeuroVision) that markets this treatment both to doctors and patients. It has some research results behind it although almost all performed by the group involved. In its opriginal format- marketed straight to the public who sat at home and did all the tretament via the internet it had limited success. I think they are now trying to market it to doctors to use with their patients. I feel it can be useful combined with other VT metods.”
So, Tetro and all, sounds like I may have jumped the gun on some of the issues here, but I still feel initial caution is warranted when checking out new products. Check with your Optometrist and see if it might need to be combined with other VT methods.
Lois
Lois
I have talked with Dr. Uri a few months back and he told me that he is in the process of developing a “game” for treatment but he could n`t give any more info(maybe another company has the rights).
Anyway i contacted accuvision a partner of neuro-vision and they gave me the following answers:
”
1) What is the average success rate?
50% of patients who are suitable, gain 2 lines of vision on a vision test
chart.
2) Is there a guarantee of success?
We do not provide a guarantee. Unlike other treatments in eye care where the
success depends mainly on the doctor and the equipment, while the patient is
passive, in NeuroVision the success mainly depends on the patient’s
performance, motivation and compliance.
3) If the eyes are not perfectly aligned can the treatment cause double
vision?
Yes, there is a possibility of creating diplopia (double vision) in patients
who have squint. So for that reason our inclusion criteria limits to minimal
squint of 8 prism dioptres.
4) Is the treatment worthwhile if the eye is suppressed?
Yes, it is worthwhile. In many cases, if there is good improvement in
vision, and the difference between the eyes is minimized, there starts being
fusion sometimes complete fusion and sometimes intermittent.
Even if the eye remains suppressed, in the event that the patient loses the
vision in the strong eye, the suppressed eye will start functioning and the
patient is in much better condition.
5) Would later having treatment to align the eyes affect any benefits gained
with the treatment?
If the misalignment is more than 8 prism dioptres then yes, we recommend
first correcting the misalignment and only afterwards doing NeuroVision
6) If the eye is suppressed, could the treatment reverse that?
It depends case by case. We do have many cases that started with suppression
and ended with fusion, but we can’t guarantee that.”
My main concern is the use of both eyes but as you can see they do not guarantee anything…
Your opinion?
Costas
Costas,
I don’t think you will find any modality that will guarantee you success. I like the statement “success mainly depends on the patient’s performance, motivation and compliance.” Any type of vision therapy is going to depend, at least in part, on that. No surgeon is going to tell you there is 100% chance of success.
I have never used any home vision therapy without asking my COVD doctor first. I suggest talk with the doctor who treats your eyes and see if they recommend this, any supplementary therapy?, etc.
Best,
Lois
Any supplementary therapy besides that laser instrument I think should be this –
http://www.visiontherapysolutions.net/ambp.html
Lois, Costas thanks for your info. I will check with my doctor and see what comes next.
Also, I talked couple of days ago with Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Institution – http://eng.mntk.ru/.
This is a hi-tech institute in Moscow and they told me that they have a amblyopia department, and apparently a treatment based on re-arranging retinal cells and brain connections. I don’t know what to think now, since there are various programs, and still, there is no cure for amblyopia.
I currently live in Europe and the doctors seems to not care (they treat amblyopia in kids maximum age 6, for the older ones they don’t bother since everyone knows that brain plasticity disappear). With the ones I talked told me to get on with my life cause is no cure but I will try all the possibilities out there.
Tetro, the doctor I asked about the laser device is Dr. Ken Koslowe. He has given me permission to use his name with the quote and I’ve added it to that comment above. He also says, “I feel this treatment should be done under expert supervision by one’s doctor.”
The Moscow treatment you mention above sounds interesting, but I don’t know anything about it either. I can attest to the value of the HTS programs. My Vision Therapy Doctor prescribed the Binocular program for me about three years ago, and it is highly recommended by others also. Again, it would have to be prescribed and used from home under the supervision of a doctor.
I encourage you to join our Eyes Apart online Yahoo group which is linked at the top right of this page. There are people from Europe in that group, and someone may have recommendations. Dr. Koslowe is also active in that group, and may be able to recommend a doctor in your area. He has been very helpful in the group.
You can find international COVD (Vision therapy) doctors here:
http://www.covd.org/DoctorSearchResults/tabid/69/Default.aspx?adv=1
I don’t know how many of them treat adults, but the best place to inquire if anyone knows this is in our email support group. I’m not able to be very active there at present, but there are many in that group who may be able to help. I admire your perseverance at attempting to get help, and wish you the best.
Lois
Lois,
Thank you for your words.
I think that every problem has a solution. It’s up to us to find it.
I will join that group and seek further solutions.
Thanks again.
I found on eHealth forum a story that I want to believe, and hope that this will happen with all of us:
http://ehealthforum.com/health/strabismus-amblyopia-self-correction-t161808.html