An eyepatch or eye pad is a little patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by a rubber band or by a string, an adhesive bandage, or a plastic device which is clipped to a pair of glasses. It is typically worn by people to cover a lost or injured eye, but it also has a healing use in children for the treatment of amblyopia. Eyepatches used to block light while sleeping are referred to as a sleep mask. Eyepatches related to pirates are a stereotype originating from fiction.
When Does Child Need Eye Patch?
An eyepad or eye pad is a soft medical dressing that can be used over an eye to safeguard it. It is not always the like an eyepatch.
Patching is a method used to treat Amblyopia which is sometimes called ‘lazy eye’. Amblyopia develops when one eye is used more than the other. This causes the other eye’s vision to be weak or bad. A few of the causes of amblyopia are crookeded eyes (strabismus), unequal focus between the eyes (refractive errors) or other abnormalities preventing the normal advancement of vision in one eye. Often there are no hints to parents that amblyopia is present.
Patching the good eye forces the use of the weak eye and motivates the development of much better vision.
Glasses might be recommended to treat any focusing problems, but patching might still be required to treat the amblyopia. Surgery can not correct amblyopia, as well as though it might be carried out to correct the alignment of the eyes, patching may still be needed before and/or after surgery.
If amblyopia is not dealt with, it might lead to a permanent and severe visual loss in one eye, it may affect depth perception, or it might lead to a life time of bad vision if the good eye ends up being unhealthy or injured. This will cause a life-long issue for the child.
Patching is sometimes also prescribed to help children control wandering eyes even when the vision is equivalent.
For How Long Will Baby Need to Patch?
The amount of patching therapy required is different for every single child. In basic, the more youthful the child and the earlier treatment is started, the less time it will consider the vision to enhance. Some types of amblyopia can be more severe and challenging to treat than others.
Your doctor might recommend the patch to be used full-time or for a specific number of hours a day. After vision has improved and stabilized in the lazy eye, patching is frequently continued and tapered gradually to avoid regression. Worsening of vision can occur after patching is terminated, which makes it important to have the vision inspected frequently during and after treatment.
Some people suggest in-depth or near work while wearing the patch to motivate use of the lazy eye and speed visual recovery. The best exercise, though, is using the patch! If the vision in the weak eye is exceptionally poor, it is very important to monitor your child’s activities while being covered. Playing outdoors near streets or driveways is not recommended.
Regrettably, not all children’s vision improves after an affordable period of compliant patching and your doctor may ultimately advise to stop treatment.
Getting children to use eye patches can be a difficult obstacle and a great deal of effort. Successful treatment mostly depends on your commitment, participation, and ability to acquire your child’s cooperation. It DOES get simpler – starting is frequently the hardest part. Don’t give up prematurely. There are periodically times when patching continues to be impossible and you might need to accept that one eye will constantly be poorer than the other. It is always reassuring to know that you have actually done everything you perhaps can with patching prior to accepting this.
What if My Child Won’t Keep the Patch on?
You can use a lot of opportunities to motivate your kid to wear eyepatch.
- Routine (especially for kids) is exceptionally crucial. Do not let a day pass that you do not make at least one or two patching attempts. Make an effort, but do not continue to the point that your life or your child’s life becomes unpleasant. Just attempt again each day. The child will eventually understand that you’re not giving up. If the daily routine stops, the child has won the battle.
- Treat any skin irritation early.
- It may help to begin gradually; high levels of patching early might induce aggravation. Ask your doctor if you can gradually include an hour a day or week.
- Use positive support and avoid unfavorable reinforcement or power battles. Allowing patching to become a battle is practically guaranteed to be a fight in which the child wins.
- Use rewards.
- Connect patching with activities the child delights in (TV, computer game, and so on).
- Attempt playing King or Queen for a Day; begin on a weekend with adult supervision and fill the day with special privileges and attention to sidetrack from patching.
- Use a timer to indicate when the patch comes off. This makes the timer the ‘bad person’, not the parent.
- Consider having a rule that just parents or caretakers can touch the patch.
- Attempt patching at school or daycare where there may be better guidance and interruption.
- Be innovative.
- Have your child aid decorate patches with material paints, stamps, temporary tattoos, rub-on transfers, stickers, or other craft material.
- Use the computer to print clip-art pictures straight onto patches.
- Develop patching games.
- Make a big benefit calendar that the patch can be stayed with each day.