Patient's question:
The child of a classmate has amblyopia and has been receiving treatment in a regular hospital. The boy is 10 years old and in second grade of primary school. He has been undergoing treatment for a year and a half, but the results are still not very significant. Is there a time limit for treating amblyopia? If it's not treated effectively, will it lead to myopia?Doctor's answer:
Hello! The time for treating amblyopia is limited. From most clinical outcomes, there is basically little to no effect after the age of 12. Amblyopia cannot be cured, and it does not cause myopia. In a sense, myopia is caused by excessive eye development, while the inability to improve vision in amblyopia is largely related to the issue of the eye not being able to develop properly. Now that the child is already 10 years old, the treatment effect will be correspondingly worse, but please do not give up. It is recommended to use amblyopia treatment devices in addition to corrective lenses. If the vision in both eyes is unequal, patching treatment should also be done. For specific treatment matters, it is best to consult the examining doctor.