Patient's question:
Recently, my child's school conducted a vision test, and my child's vision was only 0.4. I took him to the hospital for a thorough examination, and the results showed that he has amblyopia. The doctor prescribed eye drops and advised covering one eye, but I forgot to ask the doctor for how long each day the eye should be covered. How many hours per day should the eye be covered for amblyopia?Doctor's answer:
If a child has monocular amblyopia, covering the healthy eye can promote the growth and development of the visual nerves in the amblyopic eye. As long as the child is awake, the healthy eye should be covered with a black cloth. However, it is not advisable to cover the eye for consecutive days. Generally, the eye should be covered for three days, followed by one day without covering, to prevent the healthy eye from developing amblyopia again. Regular follow-up examinations are essential, typically once a year.