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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you have astigmatism

46 replies

doyoureallyneedthat · 13/02/2015 12:48

Did your parents? Or family members
Dd has it and no one in the family does, hers is quite severe so I'm just wondering why as me and Dh don't have it?
I am pretty short sighted (blind without glasses really)
Optician says it's usually genetic? Could there be something wrong with her eyes?

OP posts:
JackieTheFart · 13/02/2015 12:50

I do and my mum does. Mine is quite bad.

Why does it matter? Clearly you take her to have her eyes tested, the doc/optician would tell you if there was some awful problem with it.

Thumbcat · 13/02/2015 12:51

I have astigmatism and neither of my parents do. DS also has it.

Original poster
doyoureallyneedthat · 13/02/2015 12:52

I'm just curious as to why she has it and where it has come from really. From what I've read it can come from other disorders so was a little concerned

OP posts:
Thurlow · 13/02/2015 12:52

I don't think it's supposed to run in families like that. DB and I are both very short sighted, both astigmatic, both started wearing glasses around 10. Neither of our parents need anything more than glasses for reading or driving.

SunnyBaudelaire · 13/02/2015 12:52

I don't see why it matters, as long as they make her a good pair of specs to correct it. I have it, not sure if my parents did, not that important surely?

SorchaN · 13/02/2015 12:55

I have it, my father had it, and my daughter has it. My brother, in his early 40s, doesn't need glasses at all. So even if some things are genetic, they don't necessarily get passed on, or sometimes they skip a generation. Even if you don't know anyone in either family who has it, there might have been a great-grandparent. As long as the opticians can correct it with glasses, it shouldn't be too big a problem.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 13/02/2015 12:55

I have but no-one else in my family does.

Only problem is if you want contact lenses, they need to be 'toric'

SorchaN · 13/02/2015 12:56

Meant to say: of course, if you're worried about other conditions you should talk to the optician or your GP about it.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 13/02/2015 12:56

(But I have nice hair while my DSis and DBro don't )

Swings 'n' roundabout or something.

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 13/02/2015 12:59

I have astigmatism in both eyes, but no-one else in the family does - everyone bar DD3 including parents and siblings are short-sighted.

My contacts aren't toric ones, but the level of astigmatism is such that I can manage with daily disposables thankfully. I am currently trialling monovision to avoid reading glasses which is a bit weird.

happywanderingwithdog · 13/02/2015 13:00

If the optometrist had had any real concerns they would have referred her. Not really sure why you're so worried? The person to ask would have been the fully qualified person who tested her eyes, not MN!!

Original poster
doyoureallyneedthat · 13/02/2015 13:00

It's just that hers is so severe and came on all of sudden it seems. Don't ever recall her squinting or having eye problems but now she's got bas astigmatism and short sightedness.

OP posts:
Johnogroats · 13/02/2015 13:01

I have bad astigmatism. Very short sighted too. My dad has always worn glasses but nowhere near as bad. Mum had perfect sight. So far DSs are both fine (8&10).

Original poster
doyoureallyneedthat · 13/02/2015 13:04

I dis ask and she said she just had it because it's who she was but that she would have thought someone in the family would have had it as it's usually genetic. I'm not overly worried just curious if anyone else was the first in their family to have it.

OP posts:
AmateurSeamstress · 13/02/2015 13:06

Yes, I have it. Neither of my parents do, my children don't. Don't think there is anything wrong with my eyes apart from the astigmatism. It just means my eyes are slightly rugby ball shaped, no different to having your nose or ear proportions very slightly different to the norm.

I don't know anything about the genetics of these things but a lot of genetic inheritance is recessive. I wouldn't read anything into "it's often genetic" than "it's normal and not something you did".

Original poster
doyoureallyneedthat · 13/02/2015 13:07

We all wear glasses for shirt sightedness. My mum, dad, sister, myself on my side so I wasn't shocked that she needed glasses just at the level of astigmatism is all. Looks like lots of people are the only people in their family to have it so maybe I'm over thinking.

OP posts:
SoonToBeMrsB · 13/02/2015 13:08

I'm incredibly short sighted, completely reliant on glasses/lenses but no-one else in my family has astigmatism. Mine is quite severe too, I'm told.

Original poster
doyoureallyneedthat · 13/02/2015 13:09

Lol at shirt sightedness sorry I'm typing on a mobile

OP posts:
Original poster
doyoureallyneedthat · 13/02/2015 13:10

Are you short sighted and have astigmatism mrsB?

OP posts:
SoonToBeMrsB · 13/02/2015 13:10

70isaLimitNotaTarget

They don't NEED to be toric. My optician started me on normal lenses and then tried me with toric to see if they made a massive difference. They didn't make enough of a difference to my sight to justify putting up with how irritating they were so we went back to normal lenses. I've never had an issue and my astigmatism is pretty bad.

SoonToBeMrsB · 13/02/2015 13:12

doyoureallyneedthat

Yes, very short sighted (-7.00 in both eyes) with severe astigmatism in my left eye. No-one else in my family has it, though my mum and almost everyone on her side of the family wear glasses.

Number3cometome · 13/02/2015 13:15

I have one, neither of my parents do, but my DS does.

Mine is very mine, -1 in the left +1 in the right.
DS is -075 and +075

mrsmilkymoo · 13/02/2015 13:15

I have it,don't think anyone else in my family does. Unfortunately I do need the more expensive toric contact lenses. Tried with just regular ones but my vision was blurry around the edges.

Original poster
doyoureallyneedthat · 13/02/2015 13:19

Thanks everyone that's very reassuring that it's probably normal. Just came as quite a shock as I was just expecting her to be a little short sighted. She's very pleased that she needs glasses

OP posts:
UniS · 13/02/2015 13:20

I am short sighted with astigmatism , no idea who else in the family is. Mum wears glasses for shortsightedness but has never said about astigmatism. But why would she? I only know because I tried contact lenses.
Its really not a big issue OP.

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