Patching an Eye "the myths and Facts"

One of the presumed advantage of patching an eye was to allow the "lazy Eye" gain fixation and become as active and strong as the "good eye'. The term Lazy Eye is not only wrong but inaccurate.

Studies have shown that patching an eye for two hours is equivalent to patching for a full day. The eyes are meant to function together so rather than patch we should be training both eyes together through Vision Therapy.

Patching an eye can actually do more harm than good. If you have an eye turn and wondering about patching, Please see a Behavioural or Neuro-Optometrist.

When an eye is patched, the goal is to prevent the "lazy eye" from suppressing or being turned off by the brain in other to avoid confusion and double vision. During Vision Therapy We can now utilize red and green filters on one level or another. Some of us use them for anti-suppression, some for monocular fixation in a binocular field (MFBF), and some use red and green in binocular exercises such as anaglyphs.

These techniques have been proven to not only help test for suppression, but also to train and prevent suppression. These tests should be administered before attempting to patch an eye.

For more information on this, Call to book an exam here at our Neuro-Optometric Therapy Centre at @Vine Eye Care