All of these options depend on your diagnosis, the length of time you’ve been prescribed patching and your age. Talk to your Ophthalmolgist or Optometrist about which option would be best for you. Usually, this happens in young children whose visual systems are still developing. If left untreated, children can develop permanently impaired vision in the weak eye. This can result in decreased depth perception and narrower field of vision all their lives. It is not always immediately obvious when a child begins to suffer from amblyopia, making it highly important that young children have their eyes tested as a matter of rountine by a professional ophthalmologist or optometrist. National eye test programmes vary from region to region and are usually performed at school entry, at the ages 4 or 5. Eye tests for children are also available free of charge via the NHS. If you suddenly develop double vision, it might seem like a good idea to cover one eye to see if that clears things up. Not so fast. I love to have a few cute go-to cloth patches for those times when I’ve already gotten ready and I don’t want my patch to smash my eyelashes. I’m really not horribly vain, but nobody wants smashed eyelashes.

There are so many more Etsy shops that make eye patches, but these are the ones I’ve actually used. What are your favorites? When I do eye exercises, I use a cloth patch that I can easily put on and take off. One of my exercises is to set a timer for three minutes per eye and follow a pencil with my eye. It is referred to as “eye stretches” and gives me practice at maintaining focus on a moving object. When I’m switching between eyes it is much more convenient with a cloth patch. Non-adhesive– These eye patches are made of soft, comfy cloth and a band that wraps around the head to hold the patch in place.There are so many different options for adhesive patches. Some boast soft fabric and breathability, others have a variety of designs or special sensitive skin friendly material. Blue (Krafty Patch) Ballet Slippers (MYI Patch) Everything Else (Ortopad)

If you are wondering if patching could help strengthen your eyes or help fix your lazy eye, schedule a consult with me and I can help you figure that out! I’ve used six different cloth patches and at least 10 variations of brand and size of adhesive patches. There were some I loved, others not so much. In August of 2018, I started patching my strong eye to help strengthen my eye that was weakened because of my amblyopic strabismus. After six months of using different patches 2-4 hours each day, I have zeroed in on the best ones out there. Play time – when you are playing with toys, rolling out and creating with playdough, enjoying a game with friends, or even dressing up in costumes. The best patch is the one that matches your activities or purposes. There are many reasons that an adult might be looking for an eye patch;Here are some pros and cons, where to find my favorite patches, and which patches to avoid. Adhesive Patch During your night time or bedtime routine – when you are having a bath, reading a story and having snuggles before bed. Eye injury and disease– Damage to the eyeball from an injury may require an eye patch while the wound heals. Some people wear an eye patch to cover severe injuries that leave disfiguring scars. Certain diseases might require an eye patch to help the patient recover. Keratoconus, a thinning of the cornea, is one such condition. Tried, proven and trusted through years of use by orthoptists across Europe, Opticlude eye patches provide a comfortable solution to a sensitive problem. Protection. Eye patches cover your eye, so they’re a great way to protect your eye after surgery or other procedures. They can help prevent infection after cataract surgery and stop dust or other items from getting into your eye and causing irritation. A patch can also help you avoid rubbing or touching your eye after surgery.

But it may do even more good to read books or get into arts-and-crafts projects because it encourages hand-eye coordination, according to Prevent Blindness. Eye patches can help treat some types of vision problems, especially in the case of children. Depending on the problem, you might need to wear it for several hours a day. What Is an Eye Patch? Around 1-5% of children in the UK suffer from amblyopia, more commonly known as 'lazy eye'. Lazy eye is caused by an interruption of normal visual development during a critical period in childhood, resulting in poor vision in one of the sufferer's eyes. If you wear a patch full-time to cover a damaged or deformed eye, you will probably want to go with a cloth or leather patch that is a style that you like. There are some really cool (and expensive) patches out there for these situations. The only trouble is that those pesky straps will mess up your hair. Patching can be very difficult and annoying, so what are other options? Using a red lens patch for specific activities is great option that makes the patch time much more effective and helps build the strength of both eyes working together.Squint. Sometimes, doctors recommend an eye patch for strabismus. Also called squint, strabismus occurs your eyes are misaligned. One eye drifts in, out, or up while the other looks straight ahead, which can cause vision problems. Without treatment, you might develop a squint, which is where the name of this condition comes from. Eye shield and pad. These types of eye patches are the disposable gauze pads and bandages you use after eye surgery. You’ll need to use these until your eye heals up or until your doctor tells you to stop bandaging your eye. Benefits of Eye Patches There are a few types of eye patches. You can buy most over the counter at the pharmacy or from your eye doctor. If the patch is a treatment to correct poor vision, make sure it’s snug around the eye. That way, you or your child can’t peek around it and lose the benefits. Wear the patch for as long as your doctor says. Use distractions to help a child manage the adjustment. Determine which eye the patch goes on. If you’re treating strabismus or lazy eye, you’ll want to place the patch on the stronger eye. Following a surgery, you’ll want to put it over the eye your doctor worked on.

I love the fun, cute designs on Etsy, there are so many options and every person I talked to and messaged was completely willing to adjust the length of the strap, colors, and fabric. I love being able to wear a patch and feel cute (ish) at the same time. My four and six-year-old daughters love when I wear my “pretty” patches and try them on in secret.They also just feel less medical and more like they could be part of an outfit. When I wear an adhesive patch, people gasp and say “oh no! What happened?!?” With a fabric patch, they say “oh, why are you wearing an eye patch?” I prefer the later.