dd dx with long sightedness (Plus 4.5) but doc said maybe no glasses - can this be right?

[ErnesttheBavarian]

I am long sighted (7.5) and have 2 ds who are also long sighted (varying bwn 3.5 & 4.75) so 3 of us wear glasses.

Today dd had drops and doc said she is long sighted, but because she has no squint or astigmatism, and because both eyes are the same she will not automatically prescribe glasses.

We have to go back AGAIN (3rd time in a month) to have another eye test, and if she does ok she won't prescribe, if she doesn't do so well she will.

To me 4.5 sounds quite high, so am surprised she wouldn't prescribe. DO I trust her on this or look for another doctor?

This sounds quite high to me too. Ask what reasons she gives for not prescribing, surely she needs sight correction to see clearly at school if/when she goes.

I am was also 7.5 longsighted until I had lens replacements at optical express nearly a year ago. I also had age related shortsightedness, so varifocal glasses - what a nightmare! Now I can see everything and even quite small lettering! Best money I ever spent [hsmile]

Ernest I actually would be inclined to agree with your doctor ( I am an optometrist) but to be fair, that is the type of prescription for which I reckon 50% of ophthalmologists will prescribe specs for and 50% won't!

There are two schools of thought, one which feels that the hypermetropia should be corrected to prevent squint and one which feels that unless the child actually has a squint, prescribing glasses will actually slow down the process of emmetropisation whereby a long-sighted eye will slowly correct itself.

I do feel that there are other factors at work, such as eye motor development.

FWIW my own ds's were as hypermetropic as yours, all have grown out of it and none has a squint.

Dd, sounds great but dunno if I'd dare. Would love to go...
Cm, am v grateful and interested by your reply. Am amazed there's any hesitation, but glad your reply shows me doc not a loon.

Thing is my grandma, my mum, me, ds1 and ds3 all v longsighted, so I struggle to believe it will correct itself.

How long do we give it to see? 6 months? Longer? Obv I would prefer that she doesn't need to wear glasses, but I would also not want her wandering around half blind either.

How old is dd, Ernest?

fwiw I needed glasses as a child but I had a mild squint which righted itself with glasses so can see what Chip means.

She is 3.5

If it weren't for the rest if us I would be more open minded or convinced if you like about the eyes correcting themselves,, but with so much family history of bad eyes I struggle to see the benefits of leaving her uncorrected. Seems if all our eyes (5 people) didn't correct, in fact slowly getting worse, then why would that not also be the case for her?

Tbh, Ernest, most children are born longsighted and your dd is still very young. I would be inclined to leave well enough alone at the moment but to keep a close watch for a squint. Children usually have a much better ability to accommodate ( focus) than an adult so it's highly unlikely she's going around in a blur.

Ernest, that happened with dd. Optician said she was 'high end of normal' and that it'd reduce as she got older, but that they'd keep an eye on it, rather than give her glasses initially. Which they have done, and at the first suggestion that her eyes weren't equal, they prescribed glasses. FWIW, we've all got shocking eyes too.

Thank you all very much. Obv I would rather she didn't have glasses, so am happy tO go along with the plan now youve reassured me. I suppose then it's good news and I can hope things will improve. Great. Thanks a lot. :)