Specsavers have referred DD to eye hospital

[Rorpethy]

DD13 has been having headaches, lightheadedness and struggling to focus her eyes when reading recently so booked her for an eye test.

After looking in her eyes, the optician put some eye drops in DDs eyes to make the pupils bigger. The optician then explained that one of DDs pupils was higher than the other and that there is a dark circle around one of her optic nerves. Her eyes were reading as +75 and -50, whatever that means.

They also said they will be sending an urgent referral to the eye hospital and DD should be seen within a week.

They wouldn't elaborate on what they thought the problem might be.

Has anyone had similar? What did it turn out to be?

Has she had an eye test before?
What does the +75 and -50 relate to?
Is there '.' Between the numbers e.g. +7.5, -5.0?
Did they do a glasses prescription or just do a referral?

Sorry I don't know. They just verbally said there's a big difference between the eyes and said the numbers. I think he said one is long sighted one is short? Sorry not very helpful!

Yes glasses for concentration which is new.

And yes, eye tests every 2 years. The last was about a year ago. I took her because of the symptoms she's been having.

More likely to be +0.75 and -0.50 otherwise she would be highly unlikely to have functioned without glasses to this point.

It is a bit of a difference between the eyes byt not huge and that prescription should help with focusing and headaches.

Scan and referral will be to look at the back of the eye. No need to panic overly but good to get it double checked. Some opticians have a habit of making things sound a lot worse than they are.

The optic nerve might well be a swollen optic nerve. they do refer very quickly under it as it can show that there is pressure in the brain. With her symptoms they'll be being extra careful

However I've known dozens of children referred because of this and none of them have had anything wrong at all.
With ds they told me to take him straight to A&E with a letter for an MRI. I told them he'd had one two weeks' previously (for similar symptoms of headaches and fainting), with nothing abnormal showing up, and they visibly relaxed and told me not to worry then.

I think they always refer if there are differences between the eyes like that. When I went to a new branch in a different area they insisted on referring me, even though I’d had similar differences for 30 years.

Always better to be safe than sorry with eyes.

They are super cautious with kids I think, loads get referrals. My own daughter had a ton of tests at our eye hospital-all good, we just needed to patch her lazy eye

Did they not give you a copy of the prescription?

The + means long sight and the - means short sight so it looks like the eyes do differ but without knowing the correct values we can't tell by how much.

Hopefully the dark area is nothing to worry about and it's good that she will be seen quickly

Specsavers referred me for a same day appointment on a Saturday during Covid, telling me to find someone to drive me there straightaway and to not drive under any circumstances.

I was obviously terrified. I saw the hospital ophthalmologist who said whatever the issue was, it wasn't a big deal and to not worry about it.

I hope you get a similiar outcome when you're seen

• means longsighted and - means shortsighted.

Opticians have a really low threshold for referrals.

My eyes are a wondrous mess, with all kinds of weirdness they don't see very often and I spent my childhood being referred back and forth from opticians to hospitals.

I now have a little pack of key documents and a prepared speech that I rattle off when I go for my annual eye test, to assure them that we know all about it, what can be treated has been treated and it would be worthless to refer me to the consultant again.

Eyes can indicate lots of different conditions, they often show symptoms that aren't noticed anywhere else in the body, they also respond to very little, so there could be a bit of inflammation which may just be indicative that she has a bit of a virus. There's always the possibility that it's more than that though and that's why they refer you to check.

Most people I've spoken to over the years who were referred end up having nothing wrong with them.

I understand it must be making you feel very worried, but try to keep in mind that right now it's likely that there isn't anything to be concerned about.

I remember vividly my mum going into a meltdown when I was 15 because for about the 12th time an optician decided I needed an urgent referral to the hospital, but this one decided I probably had a brain tumour and needed an MRI. He then called the hospital on the spot and said such useful things as "it usually takes weeks to get one, but this situation is so urgent they will squeeze you in tomorrow." Mum thought I was going to die, and I was pretty convinced too. Turns out there was bugger all wrong with me except the eye conditions we already knew about and he was just a panicky prat.

Thanks all for your reassurance. I think the most worrying thing is not having any clue what it could be. May that be good or bad, if you know what I mean?

Just bumping in case anyone else had anything to add?

How did your little one get on? Following as my DD has just been referred after eye test.

After some chasing, it turns out Her referral letter got lost so we went and got it ourselves and delivered it on Friday. So now just waiting.

I hope your dd is okay. What is it they said to you? Let's keep each other updated.

Oh no! That’s awful! I hope they see her soon.

She went for her usual appointment on Sunday and they’ve said her eyesight has improved with glasses but has gotten worse without and asked whether she’d been referred before to hospital and I said no. So he said he would do so now.

They said eye health all looks good etc which is reassuring.

She’s only 6, and am a bit dubious as they’ve never done the eye drops with her and I felt her eye sight had been improving. I’m not convinced with the results.

Hopefully the hospital with paint a more accurate picture. I’m hoping she doesn’t have to have patching as I know she’ll hate it!

Will keep you updated 😊

How is your little one? Still getting headaches?

Hi Amy updates on either? X