Once the cause of amblyopia has been determined, patching will usually be part of the recommended treatment to force the brain to start seeing with the weaker eye. For example, even if surgery has corrected vision issues such as refractive amblyopia, patching may still be required for a short time to force the brain to start recognizing visual signals it had previously ignored.  Ask for sample patches from your eye doctor. For patching to work, the patch must cover the eye entirely. Your eye doctor can ensure a proper fit. You can usually choose an elastic-band patch or an adhesive patch. The Amblyopia Kids Network has reviews of various eye patches, as well as information on where to purchase them. In the past, parents were advised to have their child wear the patch all the time, but more recent studies have found that children can improve their vision by wearing a patch for as little as two hours per day.  Your child may have to build up to wearing the patch for the prescribed amount of time. Start with 20–30 minutes, three times a day. Gradually increase the time until your child wears the patch for the correct length of time every day.  Older children and children with severe amblyopia may need to wear the patch for a longer period of time each day. Your doctor can recommend when and for how long your child should wear the patch. Patching can produce results within as little as a few weeks. However, it may take several months of treatment to see results. Check for improvement by retesting your child’s eyes monthly (or as recommended by your eye care professional).  Continue to check for improvement monthly as the condition has been known to get better with treatments lasting six, nine, or 12 months. The response time will vary depending on the individual child (and how faithfully s/he wears the patch).  Have your child wear the patch for as long as you continue to notice improvement. Getting your child's weak eye to work harder while the strong eye is patched will make treatment more effective.  Initiate art activities that involve coloring, painting, dot-to-dots, or cutting and pasting. Look at pictures in children's books and/or read with your child.  Ask your child to focus on the details in the illustrations or to work through the words of the story.  Be aware that your child's depth perception will be reduced because of the patch, so toss games may be extra challenging. For older children, video games are being developed to coordinate children’s eyes. For example, software developer Ubisoft has been collaborating with McGill University and Amblyotech to produce games like “Dig Rush” that treat amblyopia. Ask your eye doctor whether this is an option for your child. Sometimes, treatments do not work as hoped. Your eye care professional is the best person to decide that. Children are often able to adapt to situations. Staying in contact with your eye care professional will keep you aware of whether new options may emerge for your child’s treatment.
ضع رقعة العين على العين السليمة. ضع الرقعة على عين طفلك لمدة ساعتين إلى ست ساعات في اليوم. لاحظ مستوى التحسن. حُث طفلك على المشاركة في الأنشطة التي تتطلب التنسيق بين العينين. كن على اتصال دائم مع طبيب العيون.