To wonder how many children are out there wearing glasses they don't need?

[NotWell]

6 months ago when DD was 6 I took her to an optician...it was the first time she had ever been as she was at a private school then and they don't screen.

The optician said she had an astygmatism in her right eye and she needed glasses...and if they didn't improve then later she would need to be patched up.

I then chose some frames with DD and we went home...we waited for a month...called the opticians and they had had a mix up and the prescription had not been made up.

I was annoyed but accepted this....they reordered them and again we waited..called...not ready yet....in the meantime we had some other issues and had to go abroad unexpectedly..I left a phone message with them to tell them.....we returned and went back for the glasses only to be told they had been dismantled and we would need to have more ordered.

I suggested we needed another test as it had been so long...they were acting as if I were being unreasonable so I siad we'd find another optician.

We just got back from a very reputable optician and she said DD has no need of glasses and certainly no astygmatism....she sent us away.

DD was all hyped up about the glassses...she didn't want them really but was trying to be cheerful and I was happy she ddn't have any problems...but I am confused! Could the 1st optician have been rubbish? Or is it possible for an Astygmatism to go away in 6 months?

Ah! I do like a dishy health proffessional Adverse I remember getting a bit swoony over the anesthetist when I was getting prepped for an emergency c section! You would magine I might be thinking of other things!

Katiepoes Do you mean Amblyopia?

I have this. Wish I'd worn the patch when I was younger. My eyes are terrible now :(.

That is exactly what my DS2 had as described above caused by an astigmatism!

I've got a cyl of -2.75 in one eye and plano in the other. I feel sick if I'm not wearing my glasses :(

I have astimagtism. It runs in my family somewhat. I need glasses otherwise I cannot see very well at all. My DD has recently (a few months ago) been diagnosed with amblyopia, which runs in my DHs family a little. She also wears glasses now, although the last check up said her eyes were improving wonderfully and therefore she may not need glasses forever.

Given that DDs glasses cost me £10 with a voucher and I get the free glasses I see no reason to believe that either the opticians where I went or the eye hospital where DD went (she's only 2 1/2) would need to lie to "sell glasses".

I'm a little more concerned that there are children out there not wearing glasses that should!

My DS1 has glasses (hes 5.5) and has done since he turned 3. However, he had 3 eyetests 3 months apart before being given a prescription - the optician said that eyes that age can change quickly, that relying on a young child to do the test can be problamatic in itself. When after test 3 he still indicated needing glasses they put these drops in his eyes to completely blurr his vision and relax his eyes to get the proper prescription.

DS2 has perfect 20/20 vision at the age of 3, but will be retested next year.

I would never just go on 1 eye test. Whether that shows perfect vision or something neeing correction.

And as for chains - I use Specsavers as I have found them much better and professional than Vision and Optical Express. They are also fantastic with my children at our local branch.

LittleWhiteWolf Aww that's great to hear about your DD. Kids NHS glasses are sooo much nicer than they were when I was little.

Astigmatism can come and go, younger children's eyes can change quite quickly and most may need to be checked 3/6 monthly if they wear glasses. Depending on the prescription (you don't happen to have it do you?) it may have well gone back to Plano, or something insignificant she doesn't need them.

Dd is nearly five and got her glasses for her fourth birthday. She also has had patches for a year which she stopped wearing at Christmas. Had a test today with the patch lady who said her eyesight is worse and she may need the patches again. Dd-who loves her glasses-tells us she cant see with her glasses anymore .Surely small childrens eyes change loads in a year ? She is under the hospital for this as well not your local optician !

Could I just add a point on this thread. The prescription you are given (to take to the desk) is yours. You do not have to have the glasses from the optician who wrote the prescription. If you see preferable frames at another optician's premises, take your prescription there. The first optician is entitled to keep a copy though.

I have to pay for mine. A couple of years ago, I had the full eye test in Berkshire, took my prescription to south Africa on holiday and paid the equivalent of £100 less for the lenses there. I'm so glad I did that.

I get that they change...I just had a bad experience with the 1st one who was incompetant...I have made another apointment and of course we will go agaiin....she's not a toddler though...she was 6 when the 1st one tested her and is 7 now...as someone else said a lot of their growing is finished in the eye area by 7...she reads fine and I checked with her teacher if she can see the board ok...the teacher said she always notes problems in that area and had seen nothing.

We WILL be going back of course! It all new to me this!

I've just been to collect my DS's glasses to find they are too strong. It was the same optician who tested him at the weekend and she says he's now measuring less. I guess it's not an exact science and so we're going back in 3 months time for a recheck. In the meantime his new prescription doesn't warrant glasses so he can go without. Maybe it was the same for your DD.

MAybe it was Happy how old is your DS?

Almost 6. He measured long-sighted at the weekend and she'd put the drops in to over-ride his ability to compensate but today she said he was really good at being able to stare into the distance while she did the measurements. Would love to know more about what they are actually looking at but maybe someone will be along soon to explain.

and you are assuming the first optician was wrong and the second one right because???

I don't trust big chains of opticians. My prescription varied so much from that of my "home" option (I was at Uni and tempted by posh glasses!) that I couldn't wear them.

Same chain kept giving my gran stronger prescriptions. She was hit by a taxi she didn't see (thankfully no real damage done) and her glasses broke. Took her to our optician who refused to prescribe glasses as she had really bad cataracts which had obviously been there 3-4 years at least.

Now I try to use small independent ophthalmic opticians.

dandelions...because the 2nd optician was better. It's not as if I am avoiding glasses ffs. I have made another appointment.