Is strabismus a lazy eye condition?
Many people make the mistake of saying that a person who has strabismus has a “lazy eye,” but amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus are not the same condition. Some of the confusion may be due to the fact that strabismus can cause amblyopia. Amblyopia can result from a constant unilateral strabismus (i.e., either the right or left eye turns all of the time). Alternating or intermittent strabismus (an eye turn which occurs only some of the time) rarely causes amblyopia. Amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, is the eye condition noted by reduced vision not correctable by glasses or contact lenses and is not due to any eye disease. The brain, for some reason, does not fully acknowledge the images seen by the amblyopic eye. This almost always affects only one eye but may manifest with reduction of vision in both eyes. It is estimated that three percent of children under six have some form of amblyopia.
