Question for those who have poor vision? About This Page:

[Crackers]

I am a little concerned about my daughter Jessica. Two years ago she started complaining that she was having trouble seeing the board at school. I took her for an eye exam and she had a mild nearsightness with vision at 20/25 in one eye and 20/30 in the other. Last year I took her back for her annual exam and she was the same. The said it wasn't bad enough for glasses yet. The last week of school she started complaining that it was getting worse and I decided to get her annual exam early and make sure she saw the eye doctor before school started this year. Well, her appointment was today and her vision has deteriorated to 20/80 in her right eye and 20/400 in the left. Well, needless to say, now she is finally getting glasses. However, it seems to me that much deterioration in one year is too much. Has anyone else out there experienced that rapid of deterioration and can I expect worse next year? That just doesn't seem normal to me. She reads fine without problems, but the doctor said that she doesn't see much other than blur beyond the length of her arms.

[chezp]

My heart goes out to Jessica. I went through exactly the same thing when I was eleven. I wasn't having regular eye tests, but I know from my own experience that my eyesight did deteriorate very rapidly during about a six month period and eventually I had to tell my parents that I couldn't see the board at all and I had to be moved to the front of the class.

I was taken for an eye test and got glasses immediately. I think at that time, my eyes were something like (from memory) -5.5 in my left eye and -4.25 in my right eye. Now, twenty years on, (and this is in contact lenses, which I know are slightly different to glasses), my left eye is -8.00 and my right eye is -6.00, so really things haven't got too much worse in all that time.

The worst deterioration was suddenly when I was eleven. Since then, my eyes have never deteriorated more than 0.25 in any six month period. I hope it's the same for your daughter as well.

[CRCrazy]

Yep - if your daughter is in junior high (think puberty), this is perfectly normal! When I was in 7th grade, I think, I flunked the school's vision screening, and was referred to the optometrist. When I got my glasses - I was flipped out by what I could see - I didn't even realize how bad they had gotten. I had gone from 20/20, more or less, to 20/400 or so in both eyes in less than a year.

[graygables]

This happened to my DD in the 2nd grade, after she was dxed as legally blind without correction, she got glasses and the first thing she said was, "Wow! I forgot the trees had leaves!!!" Since then, there hasn't been any dramatic changes.

[vsonnier]

I can completely sympathize with your daughter. When I was 10 I started having some problems seeing. My doctor said that if I would wear my glasses there was a good chance that my vision would actually improve. I did that religiously and when I went back a year later my vision was suddenly 20/60 and 20/40. The next year - 20/600 and 20/800. It slowed down after that and hasn't really changed much in the last 2 years, but I'm legally blind without my contacts.

One thing you want to do is make sure your doctor has dilated your daughters eyes and checked the preasure. The first doctor I went to didn't do this, but when I started going to a new doctor they discovered that I had all the signs of glaucoma. It is somewhat rare in young people, but it is something that can cause a sudden change in vision. By dilating your daughters eyes the doctor will be able to check the shape of the cup on her eye and test her preasure. If anything is abnormal, a simple vision test where you sit in a box and push a button everytime you see a light will tell you if your daughter is effected.

Like I said, that is pretty rare, but you should just make sure your daughter is checked for it since many doctors don't check young people. My thoughts are with your daughter. Hopefully her vision will stabalize soon!

[snoozy]

DS and I are both nearsighted. I found out DS was nearsighted through the school nurse. DS prescription has reamained the same for about 2 years now, I on the other hand change every year. I know some people who have changes every 6 months. It just depends on the person, just like with any other medical issue. Just make sure she has her regular check ups and if she starts complaining about any changes get her in to see the Doc.

[simbarel]

[ QUOTE ]
When I got my glasses - I was flipped out by what I could see - I didn't even realize how bad they had gotten.

[/ QUOTE ]



I was the same way. I had nooooo idea that the boy I had a crush on had freckles, or that the school floor tile had splashes of yellow, or that you could see leaves defined on trees, rather than being just a bunch of green.



I'm another one whose eyesight took a nose dive at puberty and it kept falling every year until it stabilized at around 18 or 19. DD is lucky that glasses are "in" right now.

[BritDisFan]

I too had to start wearing glasses when I was a teenager, there are some really nice trendy glasses nowdays so hopefully Jessica will like wearing hers .

Karen

[DrDolphin]

WHen I finally had to get glasses (at 27) I remember driving home -- and being able to see the difference between EAST and WEST on the highway signs and seeing the LEAVES on the TREES!!! Beofre that I thought they were covered in a green blob!!

[Crackers]

Thanks all. I guess I was just surprise about how much difference there was in less than a year. It is kind of funny though, as she has such bad vision and requires one perscription eyewear and I have perfect 20/10 vision and because of an astigimitism I require one corrective pair of glasses for driving at night, and a second different corrective perscription for working.

[loobyoxlip]

Boy, I've had glasses since 3rd grade. I must have just went in for annual exams and that's when they discovered it, b/c I don't remember having trouble seeing or anything. So I don't remember really not having glasses. I hope Jessica has an easier time with school this year

[HiddenMickey]

My son turns 11 in couple weeks. We had his eyes checked in April and learned his 20/20 vision was deteriorating too. Instead of going for glasses, his eye doctor recommended eye strengthening exercises. Expensive and no insurance will cover, but he had already made progress within the first couple weeks as to how far he could stand from the eye chart and read it. We are continuing with this therapy and hope that he will not have to wear glasses in the near future.

The doctor did mention that GameBoys and computer games are a problem and should be limited in kids.

-HiddenMickey

[AmyAngel]

I got glasses in 2nd grade, and I do remember my sight worsening quite a bit over the next 2-3 years or so. It would get worse and worse to the point that I would have to tilt my glasses (earpieces higher than my ears) to see the board. After the first year or two, though, that seemed to settle down. I think that it isn't uncommon, and was more a problem because of the expense of replacing glasses than anything else.

I do agree to make sure the doctor checks the pressure in her eyes, though, and if her eyes suddenly start to cross a bit definitely go to the doc! My sister was in about 3rd grade when her sight started to worsen and her eyes started to cross a little--I think my parents thought it wasn't much different than the way my sight suddenly worsened at that age--but it turned out she has pseudo-tumor. It's a buildup of spinal fluid pressure that presses on the back of the eyes and has all the symptoms of a brain tumor. She has had 2 flareups and is otherwise normal, but has to watch what medicines she takes so they don't aggravate it. I think it is pretty rare, though.

Reading this again, it seems 2nd-3rd grade was the time my sisters and I all had medical problems! My sight got horrible (I'm -800 in both eyes now), Janet got Pseudo-tumor, and Julie got Legg-Perthes disease (ruining her gymnastics hopes...). I'm glad we're all healthy now!