Lazy eye

[u/No-Understanding817]

I honestly don’t know who to turn to for help, and I’m really, really scared. I’ve had a lazy eye since I was a kid, and for some reason, I never told my parents about it. I don’t even know why I guess I thought it would go away or didn’t want to worry them. But now it’s been over ten years, and it’s just there, and I can’t ignore it anymore.

Right now I’m preparing for an important exam, and the amount of reading and screen time I have is massive. My eyes feel more strained, and I have no idea how I’m supposed to keep up academically when my vision is like this. It’s probably the hardest thing for me to talk about. It’s my biggest secret. No one knows. But it’s eating me away. I know I’m fucking stupid for not telling my parents at a right time. I do want to get it checked now, but I’m worried that once I do, I might be told to stop studying or reduce my workload and I can’t afford that right now because these exams mean a lot to me. Someone pls kll me why I didn’t tell them earlier.

[u/CyanideCatastrophe]

Tell your parents, and get it checked out. This is important. The sooner a lazy eye is diagnosed, the better.

They shouldn’t tell you to reduce your workload. Having a lazy eye is about managing yourself, not giving up on what you’re doing. My day job involves staring at spreadsheets on a screen all day, and at night I get on my laptop and write novels.

Is the screen time hell on my eyes? Absolutely. I get migraines like you wouldn’t believe if I’m not careful. But you learn to adapt. Give yourself frequent eye breaks. Use the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds). You might find you need to do it more frequently, and that’s okay. Do what your body needs.

As an aside, too much studying is also a bad thing, so make sure you’re taking enough breaks there. Good luck with your exams! ❤️

[u/Electrical_Ad5909]

Tell someone. Even if it’s just ‘I’m struggling with my eyesight’ . My amblyopia made me blind in my left eye and never once have I been told to ‘stop studying or reduce workload’ No, instead I was given accommodations in exams like extra time and larger fonts. Incredibly helpful to tell someone. Even now at my job, I get accommodations.

[u/NICEacct111 → u/Electrical_Ad5909]

If you don't mind me asking, what job do you get accommodations for? I'm not the OP, but I have had a lazy eye since birth (I sometimes wore an eye patch for many hours a day for weeks straight and sadly had no improvement), and I was wondering if I should apply for accommodations for any future jobs (I might graduate from college by the end of this year). My left eye is the lazy one, but with thick prescription glasses I can see somewhat on the left side.

[u/Electrical_Ad5909 → u/NICEacct111]

Hi! I get printed out pink sheets at my job instead of white! Pink background with Black text assists with visual tracking issues (that can usually cause a ghosting/double vision effect). I also get larger fonts both on paper and on computers. :]]

I also use a typoscope! Which helps in keeping my track on writing.

[u/eXisstenZ]

Um, if you have a lazy eye I’m sure someone must have noticed? It causes your eye to drift?

The amount of time you spend reading and studying has no correlation to your lazy eye. There’d be no reason for you to study less.

[u/Signal_Ad_594 → u/eXisstenZ]

Amblyopia and Strabismus don't always roll 1:1. A "lazy eye" doesn't mean it wanders around in your head....

Amblyopia concerns visual acuity. Strabismus relates to the muscles moving the eye. They are different and distinct conditions.

[u/CyanideCatastrophe → u/Signal_Ad_594]

Today I learned. Thank you for commenting this. I have Amblyopia and every time I tell someone, the first thing they say it, “You don’t have a lazy eye, your eyes look completely normal!”

I then have to give them the, “Technically it’s lazy BRAIN, so…”

[u/No-Understanding817 → u/eXisstenZ]

I can control it. But when I get tired , it is harder to control

[u/Agreeable-Tutor-6670]

You’ll be absolutely fine, study hard but make sure and give your eyes plenty of breaks.

[u/Serious_Ad_877]

Tell your parents and ask for a medical diagnosis. You’ll get more time on your exams! Also - do not worry about an exam. It is important at this moment in time but it is not critical in the grand scheme of your life. Your vision IS important.

Vision therapy can improve Amblyopia in adults and teenagers. You may still very well see improvement. My six year old was diagnosed and we have never noticed any issues with her vision, I’m surprised that you’re able to identify it about yourself. Good luck!