Eyes not bad enough for glasses?

[sbgrace]

My boys (7) had eye checks today. The optometrist said one is farsighted but unless he has issues reading or complains it's not bad enough to correct. The other is nearsighted but, again, unless he complains the optometrist didn't feel it was bad enough for glasses.

 

Is that typical or concerning?

 

He did say nearsighted one would likely need glasses in the future--possibly as early as next year.

[Hunter's Moon]

This happened with my sister when she was about 10. They told my parents that her eyes could strengthen on their own or could get worse, and if they did get worse they would prescribe glasses.

 

Her eyes strengthened and her vision is perfect now.

[Avila]

My boys (7) had eye checks today. The optometrist said one is farsighted but unless he has issues reading or complains it's not bad enough to correct. The other is nearsighted but, again, unless he complains the optometrist didn't feel it was bad enough for glasses.

 

Is that typical or concerning?

 

He did say nearsighted one would likely need glasses in the future--possibly as early as next year.

 

My middle DD is farsighted, and we were told that unless it starts to bother her, it should not affect her schoolwork and it is not bad enough for glasses. My DD is pretty active, so I worry about getting her to wear them consistently and take proper care of them. Since it is mild farsightedness, for now, we are watching and waiting.

[melissel]

My boys (7) had eye checks today. The optometrist said one is farsighted but unless he has issues reading or complains it's not bad enough to correct. The other is nearsighted but, again, unless he complains the optometrist didn't feel it was bad enough for glasses.

 

Is that typical or concerning?

 

He did say nearsighted one would likely need glasses in the future--possibly as early as next year.

 

This has been our experience. My DD8 is near-sighted, and the doctor only prescribed glasses for her because she was squinting at things far away. He said that if she needs them to avoid squinting, she should wear them. Otherwise, she shouldn't. I also remember my boss being told the same thing years ago (12, maybe?), so it's not new advice. Personally, I'd rather actually see the world around me ALL the time, but I think the idea is that wearing them all the time weakens the eyes further. I don't know. I let DD8 decide when she wants her glasses and when she doesn't!

 

HTH!

[mrsrevmeg]

The eye doctor said my youngest has astigmatism. He said it may be a problem in the future. He went on to say that third grade is probably going to be the year that we know or not. Guess what? Samuel is entering the third grade this year and decided that he is going to need glasses. (no problems seeing, no headaches) Why? Because Nathaniel needs them and he is just like Nathaniel. :lol:

[Crafty Mathy Mom]

My ds is also 7 and slightly farsighted. The optometrist said that as long as he doesn't have problems with reading, that glasses wouldn't be necessary.

[gardening momma]

Personally, I'd rather actually see the world around me ALL the time,

Me too

but I think the idea is that wearing them all the time weakens the eyes further.

I disagree...IMO, not wearing corrective lenses when they are needed will weaken the eyes because of the strain of trying to focus.

 

As far as the OP's case, since the Dr says the child might need corrective lenses in a year, but is not concerned now, it may really be mild enough not to treat yet.

[Parker Martin]

My four year old is slightly farsighted. I was told that he wouldn't need glasses until they started learning how to read in kindergarten.

 

"What if he's reading now?"

"If he's reading now, he needs glasses."

 

I will say that a four year old in glasses is pretty darn cute.

[Parker Martin]

but I think the idea is that wearing them all the time weakens the eyes further.

 

I worried about that, but my optometrist told me the opposite. She convinced me to wear my glasses all the time instead of only for reading. At my next appointment a year later, my prescription had gone down by 1.50 in one eye and 1.25 in the other.

[sbgrace]

So will my nearsighted child's eyes get worse than otherwise because he doesn't get glasses now? That's what I'm wondering. I wish I could remember the script--it was either 20/30 or 20/40.

[ChristusG]

I took DD7 for her first eye exam last week. Same thing happened to us. The doctor said she's the *slightest* bit farsighted, but as long as she's not complaining about not being able to see correctly, then they usually do not correct kids at this age. She said that DD7 could grow out of it. We'll check at her appointment next year.

 

However, at my first eye appointment when I was 25, I was very slightly nearsighted and the doctor said that people with my prescription usually didn't even notice it enough to wear glasses. But I went to the eye doctor because my eyes seemed "off." So I opted to get glasses and it big difference.

[melissel]

Me too

 

I disagree...IMO, not wearing corrective lenses when they are needed will weaken the eyes because of the strain of trying to focus.

 

As far as the OP's case, since the Dr says the child might need corrective lenses in a year, but is not concerned now, it may really be mild enough not to treat yet.

 

I worried about that, but my optometrist told me the opposite. She convinced me to wear my glasses all the time instead of only for reading. At my next appointment a year later, my prescription had gone down by 1.50 in one eye and 1.25 in the other.

 

So then I don't understand why all these eye doctors are telling people not to wear their glasses all the time? I remember my boss explaining it to me as (something like) helping the eyes all the time doesn't give them the opportunity to strengthen themselves and possibly begin to correct, and that's basically what the optom. told us last year. Are they all just crazy? I've never understood it myself, but I hear it all the time, both personally and from others :confused:

 

And then to add to that, I was prescribed glasses when I was around 8 or so. I didn't wear them for the first few years (hated them, kept losing them), and my eyes got progressively worse, to where I needed them all the time. So I started wearing them all the time, and my eyes kept on getting worse and I needed a new prescription every two years. They did finally level off though. It's so hard to know what to believe. I don't tend to think of optometry as an art rather than a science!

Edited August 26, 2011 by melissel

[melissel]

So will my nearsighted child's eyes get worse than otherwise because he doesn't get glasses now? That's what I'm wondering. I wish I could remember the script--it was either 20/30 or 20/40.

 

Yep, my DD's is 20/30 too.

[Occasionally]

 

I will say that a four year old in glasses is pretty darn cute.

 

I agree with this :D

 

I was told that kids are often a bit farsighted when they are quite young, and sort of grow into their vision. My (at the time of their first eye exams) 4y/o and 5 y/o were already nearsighted with slight astigmatism. My DD was getting headaches--probably from the astigmatism. Wears her glasses all the time and poof! No more headaches.

 

So farsightedness when young is less concerning (as regards future vision correction) than nearsightedness when young--so said our optometrist.

 

Sometimes younger kids don't realize when they're not seeing well and simply assume that they're seeing the world as it is. Waiting until they ask for them? I don't wait that long (there's a strong family history of nearsightedness on both sides here.)

[gardening momma]

So will my nearsighted child's eyes get worse than otherwise because he doesn't get glasses now? That's what I'm wondering. I wish I could remember the script--it was either 20/30 or 20/40.

The actual prescription will make more of a difference than the 20/30 or 20/40, which is a bit more subjective. Is it more or less than + or - 1.00?

[LisaKinVA]

As a long-time, early wearer of glasses...

 

1) No. Your child's eyes won't get worse without glasses. Just like the rest of your child, the eyes grow and change. There is a *good* probability that as the child grows, their need for glasses will increase.

 

2) Unless there is eye strain (which, at low correction levels... is pretty non-existant), glasses should not be reccommended for full time wear, because they eyes may actually get stronger, and with the glasses, the eyes become dependent upon them (which could actually worsen them).

 

3) Astigmatism is a completely different animal, and causes problems at all distances.

 

I have 5 children, most likely 2-3 of them will need glasses at some point. We did not get glasses for my oldest until his eyes went past the 20-50 mark (this year, 11 yo -- and he still doesn't wear them full-time). Essentially, if they aren't needed for driving, you really aren't missing that much. My 5yo has asigmatism, and wears her glasses IF we are doing school, or she's playing catch. As a general rule, though, she doesn't wear her glasses all day.

 

Let me just add, that I am legally blind without my glasses. So I do not have a cavalier attitude towards eye correction. I started wearing glasses in 1st grade, actually started complaining before that (I couldn't see the television in K...my eyes are just baaaad).

 

I *do* watch my children for "signs" that they need glasses, but I only take them to the optometrist either when they tell me they can't see something, OR I see tell-tale signs (the others get a rudimentary test at their ped's office... and pass it with flying colors).

Edited August 26, 2011 by LisaK in VA

[gardening momma]

And then to add to that, I was prescribed glasses when I was around 8 or so. I didn't wear them for the first few years (hated them, kept losing them), and my eyes got progressively worse, to where I needed them all the time. So I started wearing them all the time, and my eyes kept on getting worse and I needed a new prescription every two years. They did finally level off though. It's so hard to know what to believe. I don't tend to think of optometry as an art rather than a science!

I got glasses for the first time when I was in 4th grade. It made a huge difference, so I probably needed them sooner. There's no way my eyes would have improved by not wearing glasses, not to mention I wouldn't be able to see. They continued to get worse each year until now, in my mid-30's. They leveled off, and then, much to my shock, they must have gotten a little bit better because my eye doctor is prescribing lenses that are not quite as strong. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, though, because it's still pretty bad.

 

As far as it being an art vs. science...I think there's a lot of art in it. I had a dentist appointment yesterday, and my dentist and I see the same eye doctor, as we both know him personally. My dentist was joking that he didn't think he could be an eye doctor because it's so subjective--he said in dentistry he can't ask a patient if he managed to get all of the cavity drilled out, and has he filled it well enough?

Edited August 26, 2011 by gardening momma
spelling

[LaxMom]

My vision is around 20/40, 20/50. I have glasses to drive and, honestly, unless I'm driving on a road trip or needing to read street signs (like the names of streets, not highway signs), I don't wear them.

 

My distance vision hasn't changed in 25 years of iffy glasses wearing, so I'm pretty sure eye strain is not much of an issue.

[Susan C.]

Well, let me tell you our story. Dd17 has always gotten a slightly farsighted rx, fast forward to this summer. After reading slowly her entire school career, we found vision problems. Regular eye doctors don't catch convergence issues (eyes working together well), focusing issues, eye movement, etc. Dd has problems with both, and we are going to vision therapy. It would have been much better to have caught this earlier in her life.

 

Regular eye exams don't do what is called a binocular eye exam. It literally took three hours, and was the most extensive eye exam dd ever got. Three things are wrong. I am pretty upset that most eye doctors don't do the extensive exams. Symptoms look a lot like ADD because dc get tired of focusing and their eyes get tired, so they look around, avoid reading, etc. I got very good help on the Special Needs Board.

 

At least once, I thinks kids should get the extensive exam. I would use a fellow of covd.org even if I had to drive. I am driving 3 hours one way to get the treatment once a week right now, but dd's eyesight is worth it.

[DesertDweller]

Yes, it's possible. I have astigmatism in my right eye that I choose not too have corrected with contacts. It's just borderline as far as causing me difficulty. I manage and have had no real problems. My vision isn't 20/20, but I'm okay with that since correcting it would require a different type of contact that I prefer not to wear.

[gingersmom]

Every year starting in 4th grade I was sent home with a note from the nurse to go see the eyedoctor.

 

Every year the eyedoctor said if I was not complaining that I did not need glasses.

 

In 10th grade I accused my math teacher of writing really small on the blackboard. I finally needed glasses. :001_smile:

[BatmansWife]

My dh, oldest dd, and myself wear contacts, my ds has glasses. When little dd was 6 I took her for her first eye exam. She was so excited to go and couldn't wait to get glasses. I kept telling her she needed to be prepared that she might not need them (I was afraid she'd start crying if he told her that). There were just a little signs of weakness, but no need for glasses. The eye doctor actually said to me, "I know you really want her to get glasses..but she's not quite ready." I thought that was kind of weird....I didn't *want* her to get glasses...but, oh well. Dd handled the news pretty well. :001_smile: Earlier this year, age 7, she had her 2nd eye exam and she was all excited again. While we waited for the exam she tried on several pairs of glasses and chose one. She couldn't wait. Again....I had to remind her that maybe she still didn't need them yet. That was the case again. He said her eyes have gotten a bit worse, but still she's pretty much borderline needing them/not needing them. He said he doesn't like prescribing glasses until they are really necessary because once they have them the eyes tend to just get weaker as the years go by (or something to that effect anyway).

Edited August 26, 2011 by ~AprilMay~