Amblyopia Eye patching is used in the
orthoptic management of children at risk of lazy eye (
amblyopia), especially
strabismic or
anisometropic amblyopia. These conditions can cause
visual suppression of areas of the dissimilar images by the brain such as to avoid
diplopia, resulting in a loss of visual acuity in the suppressed eye and in extreme cases in blindness in an otherwise functional eye. Patching the good eye forces the amblyopic eye to function, thereby causing vision in that eye to be retained. A study provided evidence that children treated for amblyopia with eye patching had lower self-perception of
social acceptance. To prevent a child from being socially marginalized by their peers due to wearing an eye patch,
atropine eye drops may be used instead. This induces temporary blurring in the treated eye. It has been pointed out that the penalization of one eye by means of patching or atropine drops does not provide the necessary conditions to develop or improve
binocular vision. Efforts have been made to propose alternative treatments of amblyopia that do allow for the improvement of binocular sight, for example, using
binasal occlusion or partially frosted spectacles in place of any eye patch, using
alternating occlusion goggles or using methods of
perceptual learning based on
video games or virtual reality games for enhancing binocular vision. However, it is suggested that good outcomes from occlusion treatment for sensory deprivation amblyopia rely on compliance with the treatment.
Extraocular muscle palsy To initially relieve double vision (
diplopia) caused by an extra-ocular muscle palsy, an
eye care professional may recommend using an eyepatch. This can help to relieve the dizziness, vertigo and nausea that are associated with this form of double vision. ==Use by aircraft pilots==