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Children's health

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Original poster

What happens if you don't wear glasses if you have astigmatism?

24 replies

dillnameddog · 02/08/2012 18:39

DD has just been diagnosed - she is 8. If she doesn't wear glasses, will it get worse? Or is it just that she needs glasses in order not to tire out her eyes/get headaches etc?

Would be very grateful for any info!

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Catsmamma · 02/08/2012 18:44

if she doesn't wear them she won't see properly.

children tend to be long sighted and get more short sighted as they grow. So often children can grow out of specs, but it is difficult to be definite about a prognosis.

go back and ask your optometrist, they'll be more than happy to answer questions and will have all your daughter's details to hand.

Original poster

dillnameddog · 02/08/2012 18:52

if she doesn't wear them she won't see properly.

Fair point! I will make her wear them, of course. But just wondering whether not wearing them is actually harmful. DH did the appointment - I just turned up at the end and didn't want to give dd any ideas by questioning the optometrist too closely.

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JeanBodel · 02/08/2012 19:06

I have astigmatism in both eyes. At one point I was told that I didn't need to wear my glasses all the time - just when I felt I needed it.

I stupidly managed to wreck my eyes this way. My astigmatism is now a lot worse and I am entirely dependent on glasses. The deterioration seems to be linked to my geek status as I spent far too long staring at screens and books. Apparently excessive study really can wreck your eyes - who knew?

I suppose what I am saying is: make her wear them for TV, computer, reading etc, or her eyes might very well get worse.

boohoohooshouldhavewongold · 02/08/2012 19:17

I have astigmatisms in both eyes since I was 17, seriously if she doesnt wear her glasses she won't be able to see, for me even with glasses I find it difficult at dusk and with car headlights coming towards me (think that may well be me only though!)

At 17 I didn't wear them all the time, that was a massive mistake, can't see anything without the glasses now.

HappyAsASandboy · 02/08/2012 20:35

IME (as a person who annoy safely get from bed to loo in the night without my glasses) her sight will get worse if she doesn't wear her specs. I had a very very weak prescription when I was about 10. I lost my glasses and couldn't face telling my mum (until she found out a year later ) and my eyes deteriorated such a lot in that year.

Encourage her to wear the glasses as directed by her optometrist.

Original poster

dillnameddog · 02/08/2012 21:25

Yikes, really? I have been meaning to get her an eye sight test for ages but just never got round to it. I didn't realise your sight actually got worse if you didn't wear the glasses, or I might have done this sooner.

Thank you very much for the comments.

OP posts:

Amieesmum · 02/08/2012 21:33

DD has a mild stigmatisum (age 8) - have been told she doesn't need glasses just yet - but will do at some point in the future - i also have a stigmatisum and have worn glasses since i was about 12

Pochemuchka · 02/08/2012 22:24

Like the other posters I have astigmatism in both eyes and have managed to bugger my sight up by not wearing glasses for 10 years.

Just been for a test as I've been getting pain in my right eyeball and have been struggling to focus, especially at night. My night vision has always been terrible without glasses (4 lights on the back of a car instead of two!) but I was taking 4-5 seconds to focus and it was painful.

The upshot is, my left eye is compensating for my right eye which is really weak and I have to wear glasses every day, all day for a minimum of 2 years to hopefully rectify it. :(

It has been exacerbated by watching tv/using a computer lots especially in a darkened room so watch out for that!

Springforward · 02/08/2012 22:34

I have astigmatism, and wear specs for driving, screens, scoreboards etc but not all the time. Specsavers told me to wear them when I felt the need to. Surely if that risked my sight they would have told me, so I do wonder if that's a myth TBH.

Astigmatism is about your eye being slightly misshapen, I thougt that was pretty much permanent. OP, I'd go and ask an optician that question.

JeanBodel · 03/08/2012 22:15

It could be a myth, Springforward, or it could be something that I and other posters have personally experienced.

Did you mean to sound so rude?

Springforward · 03/08/2012 23:06

No JeanBodel, I didn't. Did you mean to sound so touchy? I sincerely apologise for expressing an opinion based on my own experience and suggesting the OP might find it helpful to take advice from a properly qualified professional.

Springforward · 04/08/2012 08:07

Forgot to add to my first post - current HSE guidance states that there is no good evidence that viewing computer screens causes eyesight to deteriorate, but what will happen is that if the person has an uncorrected visual defect they are likely to suffer eyestrain and headaches. For that reason I personally would, OP, go back to the optician to establish exactly what tasks they advise your DD should wear her specs for, and when it's ok for her not to, if she'd rather not wear them all the time.

Original poster

dillnameddog · 04/08/2012 23:49

He said it's important to wear them because kids eyes have capacity to change - if she wears them it may strengthen the weaker eye and may mean she doesn't need glasses later. I think that was what he said - possibly the least articulate optician ever! He started by saying glasses don't change your sight when you are older, and that she was around the cut-off age so I thought he was saying it was too late to help them.

I do think she'd have had more chance of improvement if we had discovered the problem earlier. I have been meaning to get her eyes tested for a year so really really kicking myself.

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Chinsup · 05/08/2012 06:21

Think there maybe more than one problem with your daughter's eyes.
I had my eyes tested as a child and though I have Astigmatism in both eyes I never needed to wear glasses till I was 30 for pc work and 35 all the time. My prespriction has barely changed in the last 20 years but my brain function has and it's less able to compensate for my misshapen eyes.

A friends 5yo dd is extremely long sighted and must wear glasses everyday plus a patch for an hour to allow her lenses / muscles to correct themselves - optometrist pretty confident her vision will be 'normal' eventually.

I'd return and ask what exactly is wrong.

tara0202 · 05/08/2012 06:30

I've got it in.both eyes too. I was told I.only need to wear my glasses when I feel I need to.

I was only diagnosed 2 years ago. I wear mine for things like screens (especially power point presentations at a distance, cannot for the life of me see them!). I don't wear them.all the time but as I say I was told I didn't need to and I don't feel like I do need to all the time.

I'd speak to the optometrist like the others have suggested, I'm sure everyone is different with different needs.

sashh · 05/08/2012 07:12

Astigmatism is the shape of the eye, it is more like a rugby ball than a football in shape.

I have it in one eye, but I'm also short sighted.

The advice when I got mine was to use them if I needed them. I'd managed for 10 years and only struggled int he classroom.

Well that's what I though, until I got contact lenses at age 14. At the time they didn't correct my astigmatism but did correct the short sightedness.

I walked around the town centre with my dad on the trial - and I was amazed at what I could see. I could read the names of shops on the opposite side of the road.

My dad was stunned by how little I had been able to see without lenses / glasses.

So my, non optometrist, advice is to make her wear them and go somewhere like a town centre and let her see what she is missing.

Amieesmum · 05/08/2012 17:19

I totally agree with Sashh - I didn't want to wear my glasses in my late teens - it wasn't untill i went and got my eyes tested before i started learning to drive, was a requirement of my driving instructor, when i first put my glasses on i was amazed exactly what i couldn't see before! Now, i can't function without my glasses/contacts at all. But thats not because i didn't wear them as a child or anything.

Original poster

dillnameddog · 06/08/2012 11:47

We bought two pairs of glasses so she can keep one pair at school and have one at home. She's noticing that she does feel headachy if she reads for a long time (glasses haven't arrived yet) and I think is coming round to the idea of wearing them.

Optometrist did say it wasn't a strong prescription, and that she only needs to wear them when she has to concentrate for any length of time. It's not about distance; it is about focus.

I think that because one eye is dominant, the brain starts focusing on the visual messages from the dominant eye only - which could make the less-dominant one even weaker. So presumably the prescription improves what the weaker eye can see to make them more equal? the brain then picks up the same messages from each eye? this in time makes the visual pathways stronger, and strengthens the weaker eye. Something like that anyway.

I have explained it all to her, and said that there is a chance that if she wears the glasses as instructed this might just mean she doesn't have to wear them in the future. It's a slim chance though. I have always had perfect eyesight until I hit 40. Pretty gutted she got her dad's crap eyesight gene.

OP posts:

SeventhEverything · 06/08/2012 11:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nickelbarapasaurus · 06/08/2012 11:57

i have astigmatism but nothing else.

I find that my eyes are generally fine, but like your DD i get tired and headachey if i read for ages or if i use the computer a lot.

i also find that i get headaches if i'm tired and try to concentrate.

it's fun though - get her to compare the writing with and without glasses - she'll notice that the writing might not be blurrier, but it is blacker with the glasses on

Springforward · 06/08/2012 21:29

Ooh yes - do agree with nickel your specs make text much blacker and lots easier to concentrate on!

barbrain · 06/08/2012 23:41

There's a thread in this section called "lazy eyes, squints, glasses" where there's an orthoptist giving advice. She might be able to advise you.

DeathMetalMum · 12/08/2012 20:50

I have an astigmatism and have worn glasses for as long as I can remember the only time I dont is sleeping or in the shower/bath. I have played countless amounts of sports even trampolining not taking my gasses off. As a child my eyesight changed a lot, it is much better than it was.

I was never given the option on wether or not to wear my glasses, but basically I couldnt see wothout them anyway. Blurry double vision was what I experienced squinting made me able to see just the one thing.

Basically when the glasses are not worn the brain and eye try to correct the image themselvs causing strain on the eye and also the headaches which people have mentioned.

8 is still quite young it will be much easier to get used to wearing glasses at this age compared two a few years time.

Original poster

dillnameddog · 14/08/2012 07:54

She's actually being brilliant about it - because she can see a huge difference when she wears them. Thanks for all the comments!

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