Definition: An alternative to eye patching in the treatment of amblyopia in children. The atropine eye drop works by temporarily blurring vision in the unaffected eye, forcing the child to use the eye with amblyopia. This strengthens the eye and improves vision. An advantage of atropine treatment as opposed to eye patching is that the parent simply places one drop in the child's eye daily. With patching, the parent must monitor the child wearing the patch for six or more hours each day for many weeks or months.
Atropine is also used to dilate the pupil and relax the lens so eye examinations can be carried out thoroughly. It is often used to aid eye examinations in young children. It is also used to relax the muscles that inflame and over-contract in the eye in conditions such as uveitis. Darker-colored eyes usually require larger doses of these drops because they do not dilate as easily as lighter-colored eyes.
Also Known As: Atropine Eye Drops
