Treating Lazy Eye

When it comes to treating a child's lazy eye, you might think about eye patches and eye drops. Now it looks like acupuncture could also do the trick.

Up to 3% of children have what's commonly referred to as a "lazy eye"---one eye that sees differently than the other. If left untreated it can lead to permanent loss of vision. Traditional treatment has been the eye patch, worn for a few hours every day, along with vision strengthening exercises. But not all kids like wearing the patch, so it can turn into one of those family battles you'd rather not wage.

Well, now researchers in China have found that acupuncture can be just as effective. Children receiving 5 treatments a week had the same success as those wearing their eye patch for two hours a day. Although they can't fully explain why acupuncture works, it has been shown to increase blood flow to the eye which might be how it helps fix a lazy eye. But even they are calling for more studies to fully figure this out. But for a parent, acupuncture might be one key to making sure your child's vision is the best it can be.