Teenage DS - shortsighted in only one eye??

[dahliaaa]

DS has just realised that he is very short sighted in his left eye. It is fine with close ups and other eye is completely fine both long and short.

His other eye must be compensating because it seeks v bad when right eye is covered but no probs when neither eye covered.

Earliest we'll be able to go to opticians is weekend.

I always thought if you were short sighted it was both eyes.

Is this quite normal or should I be concerned ?

[NecklessMumster]

I'm long sighted in one eye and short sighted in the other, was identified when I was about 6. I don't have binocular vision and it's my excuse for being crappie at ball games. And I can't do the 'magic eye' puzzles. But it is very common.

[dahliaaa]

Thanks Neckless.
He's 17. Never had any problems with his eyes and just realised he's NEVER had an eye test !!! Feeling like very bad mother now.

He only realised this by complete accident when he was playing some silly game with his friend and realised he couldn't see a poster properly from that eye.

[FinallyHere]

Another one here, long sighted one eye, short sighted in the other. Had no idea til first eye test aged 20. No biggie.

[user1467976192]

It's normal I am the same. Really short sighted in my left slightly long in my right

[dahliaaa]

Oooh thanks finally - feel better about the 'no tests' now :-)

[RedMetamorphosis]

My right has always been weaker. Can't remember my old prescription but I'm now -0.75 in my left and -1.75 in my right.

[Scribblegirl]

I'm super wonky eyed - 2.75 in one eye and - 6 in the other! I've been in glasses since I was a tot, so my wonky ness is definitely nothing to do with testing regularly. Only thing to bear in mind is that I get headaches now when I'm not wearing glasses or contacts because I feel a bit disorientated!

[originalbiglymavis]

I'm just crap in both eyes but have a relative almost blind in one eye and 20:20 in the other.

I'm always bashing my head against windows and can't see when it's raining through windows (unless I look at puddles).

[dahliaaa]

Thanks everyone for the messages :-)
Have got an appointment on Saturday.

[SallyGinnamon]

I'm the same. Always thought I had 20 20 vision. Turns out one eye does distances the other does close up.

Or DID. Post 50 everything's gone a bit blurry.

[paddypants13]

I'm also short sighted in one eye and my mum is short sighted in one and long sighted in the other. We're awkward beggars!

[Falafelings]

All four of mine went for eye tests two years ago. One was shortsighted in one eye. Shes young (4) and in the plastic stage, so they are able to help the eye improve a lot. She was 6 point something but is now three on the dot. I'm not sure when the plastic period ends but it might be worth looking into it as your DS might improve with help?

[IvyLeagueUnderTheSea]

It's not usual but it is certainly far from uncommon. He's coped with it so far.

[glitterglitters]

To the OP I'm short sighted in one eye and long sighted in the other. I don't wear glasses as I can see perfectly fine normally. Often by the teenage years the brain has learnt to compensate and when I've been to the optician they've said from that point there wasn't any reason to prescribe glasses as it would frustrate my brain and give me headaches. I'm in my 30s now and still have good eyesight though I think I'll probably start needing glasses in my 40s (my brother and sister have just got prescriptions in their late 40s as well)

[glitterglitters]

And to pp I can't do magic eye puzzles either 😂 The 90s were very frustrating.

[QODRestYeMerryGentlemen]

@NecklessMumster and @glitterglitters I have found my people!
I have monovision too. Can't do binoculars, 3D is weird and riding a bike is dodge as my right eye doesn't have time to focus so I see blurry maybe cars. 😂

[glitterglitters]

@QODRestYeMerryGentlemen I thought I was a total freak. My husband tried to teach me to shoot an air rifle but I'm right handed and left eyed. It was never going to work.

[dementedpixie]

I don't understand why more people don't get their children's eyes tested as tests are free and eyes are just as important as teeth (if not more) but people always tend to get dental check ups. My 2 have annual eye tests - dd is 13 and has had glasses since 18 months old, ds is 10 and doesn't wear glasses.

Adults should normally have an eye test every 2 years

[Oliversmumsarmy]

I have I think it is either 180 or 360degree stigmatism in my far sighted eye and am shortsighted in the other. Spent many years trying to tell opticiansI couldn't see properly through their glasses. Crossing a road was a nightmare because I couldn't tell distances of cars they would literally jump from far away to nearer me and back again.

Opticians wouldn't listen so I never wore the glasses. Finally about 10 years ago found an optician who was amazed at the prescription I had been given. I now have a plain lens in the stigmatism eye and a 4.25 instead of the 6.5 that had been always prescribed by various opticians in the other eye. I can now see.

So no it is not uncommon but be careful they look at both eyes together and don't just prescribe for each eye separately.

Cant believe it took 40 years for someone to believe me that I had been given the wrong prescription

[VivienneWestwoodsKnickers]

Very common to be lopsided, as it were.
-1.75 in one eye and - 3.25 in the other. I could go about without glasses if both were - 1.75,but but if both were the other. And I can't cope without glasses any more. I used to suffer it out, but they got worse.

[glitterglitters]

@dementedpixie I had my eyes tested regularly as a child and every time I went it was something else. They would often give me too strong a prescription or tell my mum I needed a different pair of glasses etc. And despite all the glasses, patches etc my eyesight has done exactly what it's done.

Even recently I had two eye tests (wasn't happy with the first eye test as I'd gone with a specific complaint which they didn't answer) and was told wildly different things within a week of each other.

First told me I absolutely needed to have glasses, contact lenses blah blah blah. Hundreds of pounds quoted. Different glasses for different activities and the other optometrist said that they could prescribe all these things but tbh it would be costly, have limited effect and would cause more discomfort than benefit. Best advice just to keep being tested (and theirs was free) and to readers if there was any further degradation of sight.

[glitterglitters]

*readdress

[Sgtmajormummy]

DS has plain glass in one side of his glasses and astigmatism plus strong myopia in the other. We've known this since he was 8 as he was closing the bad eye and only using the good one. He had to use an eyepatch in the afternoons to train his bad eye, poor thing!

We're waiting for the age of about 20 when, according to the specialist, his eyes will have settled and he can have laser surgery to solve both problems. For now he is dependant on glasses and it only takes a slight change (0.25) for him to get headaches, dizziness and demand an eye test (6 monthly normally).

We tried a single contact lens ( I wear gas permeable and am very happy with them) for sport and for vanity (!) but he was too squeamish so it was back to glasses. He's fine about it and close medical supervision means he's not at a disadvantage. But a fencing helmet and glasses ARE a bit uncomfortable!

[Sgtmajormummy]

He's 18 BTW.

[dahliaaa]

Thank you for all the extra messages.
He's never had the slightest problem doing anything (or headaches etc) so it's all a bit odd.