Difference in Sharpness of Vision Between the Eyes
Refractive amblyopia is characterized by a focusing difference between the two eyes. This amblyopia can lead to other vision issues, such as hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism. In refractive amblyopia, the brain can only see clearly through the stronger eye, while vision in the lazy eye does not fully develop. Refractive amblyopia is a child’s most common type of lazy eye since birth.
Despite the appearance of perfectly aligned eyes, the refractive error results in diminished visual acuity and blurriness in the weak eye. For instance, an individual with a lazy eye may develop farsightedness or nearsightedness in one eye while the other eye remains normal.
Other vision disorders arise from abnormal visual experiences early in life, which alters the never pathways between retinal tissues and the brain. The lazy eye receives fewer signals over time until its overall functionality deteriorates, and the brain ignores all input sent by the weak eye.
Individuals with refractive amblyopia usually experience eye fatigue, frequent squinting, and poor depth perception. Since this lazy eye develops early in life, children rarely express discomfort or issues as they perceive this condition to be normal.
