The earlier the treatment, the better the opportunity to reverse the vision loss. Before treating amblyopia, it may be necessary to first treat the underlying cause. Glasses are commonly prescribed to improve focusing or misalignment of the eyes. Surgery may be performed on the eye muscles to straighten the eyes if non-surgical means are unsuccessful. Surgery can help in the treatment of amblyopia by allowing the eyes to work together better.
Eye exercises are a limited form of treatment.
Exercises may be recommended either before or after surgery to correct faulty visual habits associated with strabismus and to teach comfortable use of the eyes. Medication in the form of eye drops or ointment may be used to blur the vision of the good eye in order to force the weaker one to work. This is generally a less successful approach. If not treated early enough, an amblyopic eye may never develop good vision and may even become functionally blind. It is estimated that two to three percent of the general population suffers from this form of visual impairment.