Anyone who works with, or knows about children's eyes?

[marthahorrobin]

Hello,
I took my DS for his first eye test yesterday at a local high street optician. I only took him because it seemed like a good idea to get his eyes checked at some point. The optician said that he only looks through one eye at a time, and when she covered one eye and took the cover away his eye jumped instead of going smoothly back to place. She said there was a problem with the muscles in his eyes. The problem got worse during the test because his eyes were getting more tired. He has been prescribed glasses.

I really wish that I had asked some questions while I was there. I realise that only the optician can really tell me these things, but I wondered if anyone on here knows.
Does anyone know what this is called?
Is it the sort of thing children just grow out of?
Can it get worse?

Thank you very much

hi, not sure can be much help, but if you are worried, you can take him to a different optician, and explain what has happened? How old is your DS?

I would take him to an ophthalmologist

Did they offer to refer him to a specialist?

It could just be a squint - with correction (glasses) it can be rectified but only up until
The age of about 7 . The glasses can "pull" the eye back to the right position- why not ring the opticians back and ask if the optom can give you a ring and he will I'm sure .

(Former dispensing optician in a previous life ) getting all misty eyed now for that life 🙂

Do you think they meant he had a 'lazy' eye where one eye sees better than the other?
What prescription did he get?
You could phone and ask for more information too

I have this. When I was about 6 they gave me eye exercises and glasses which I wore until I was about 10, then my vision sorta corrected itself. Over time my eye got bad again so now my vision in that eye isn't great but I wear glasses for distance and it only darts when I'm extremely tired or something gets really close to my face. I don't know what it's called either, I've just been told to continue doing eye exercises to strengthen the muscles.

The optician says that he does not have a lazy eye because he swaps which eye he looks through. This means that neither of his eyes has become stronger than the other.

He does not have a noticeable squint or turning in of either of his eyes. His teachers have said that his eyes move around in a rhythmic way when he is sitting in assembly or in class. I assumed that he was doing this on purpose when he was bored because it never happens at home. I now think I was wrong.

He has not been referred or been given any exercises. He just has his new glasses, and he has to go back in three months. I do not think it is a huge problem. I just have massive mum guilt making me want to find out more. It is a big name opticians on the high street. The optician was brilliant with him. She spent well over an hour with us in total and put drops in his eyes to see the problem better. If you all think it is an acceptable thing to do I will ring during a time I hope is not too busy in the hope of speaking with her again.

Thank you to everyone who has shared their knowledge and experience. I really appreciate it.

I just have massive mum guilt making me want to find out more

tbh I am surprised you haven’t pursued this quite relentlessly. I would have got a second opinion and booked a GP app for a referral to a ophthalmologist

Fgs he only had his eye test yesterday!

Is it nystagmus then maybe?

www.gosh.nhs.uk/medical-information-0/nystagmus/

I have something called a lazy eye, or strabismus. It’s very common in premature babies - apparently Lady Louise Windsor, Prince Edward’s daughter, needed surgery for it. Basically the two eyes don’t work together very well. I had the op but not till I was 13, so it was more of a cosmetic than functional operation. Because of the condition I have never mastered ball or racket sports as I am unable to hit or catch reliably. Some people can’t drive because of it. I’m of the opinion that there are worse things to be useless at than ball games, but still, it might have been fun to be able to play.

Oh, and I could never see Magic Eye pictures either. I’m still slightly bitter about that. 😂