Q: I am 34 years old. My left eye is very weak. Whenever I close my right eye, my vision becomes blurred. I had few check-ups, but even after using lenses, the condition of my eyes has not improved. Doctors told me that my eye problem cannot be corrected now, and should have been corrected before the age of eight years. Is this true?

A:Yes, unfortunately, it is true. If you need glasses after you are born, i.e. early childhood, the brain tends to ignore worse of the two eyes, called a lazy eye or amblyopia. Unless it is detected and corrected properly preferably below six years of age, this becomes permanent, and any treatment later on seldom improves the vision. In advanced countries, every child's eyes and vision are checked not only soon after birth, but also at three years of age (preschool) as well as at school at five years of age or soon after. This condition can be hereditary as well, so make sure other children in your household, now and in future, get checked for this condition and be treated suitably, if detected. This may affect the child's career in future. Also, if any disease or trauma affects the good eye, there may be a permanent disability.