Double vision 5yo DD, how worried should I be?

[perrinelli]

Dd had been saying her eyes were going funny and she wanted to go to the optician because she thought she needed glasses like her friend. I must admit I wasn't too sure there was a genuine problem but when we saw the optician she confirmed DD is definitely experiencing intermittent double vision (diplopia I think it's called). She wants to see her again to use some dilating drops then she will refer her to the hospital for them to see which muscle/s are not working as they should. The optician seemed quite concerned. I had to go again today for my eyetest without dd and she asked after dd. I admitted I had done some googling after and started worrying about it being a Brain tumour. The optician didn't dismiss this as I had sort of expected but said that yes double vision can be a sign of something serious like a tumour but that it would be rare for there to be no other symptoms. I'm getting myself quite worried now. Does anyone know about this stuff or has a sense of whether I'm being over the top about it or not? Next appt is tues but then don't know how long before the hospital appt comes through.

I don't know but tbh I'd be demanding an earlier appointment, tell them that the optician said it could be serious.

However, I think it much more likely she simply needs glasses

You definitely need the appointment but to reassure you (hopefully) I've suffered intermittent double vision for as long as I can remember. I can control completely though it's hard sometimes when I'm really tired and I wear glasses which help. Nothing serious wrong with me, just odd eyes

I hadn't seen this optician before so it's hard to know whether she just has quite a serious manner, but something about the way she has been with me today when dd wasn't there has left me with an icky feeling. Maybe it's just not that common for her to see? She said she had already discussed it with someone at the hospital but that the protocol is to rule out the need for a prescription first which is why she wants to do the pupil dilating thing on Tuesday.

dontcallmedaughter when it was first picked up did they ever mention a brain thing or do any tests to rule it out?

Dd doesn't get to sleep at all well and consequently can often be tired and sleep deprives so perhaps that could be a factor, and she's in year 1 so doing a lot more reading etc than last year.

My cousin was discovered to have double vision as a child. He was hypermobile and when he was tired all his limbs would go floppy and that was when he was most likely to see double. I remember him doing lots of eye exercises as a child but as far as I'm aware it was never suggested that it was anything more sinister.

I developed double vision at 18months due to an emerging squint, due to one eye having a worse prescription than the other. Same with DD at 2, my mum and I were given some serious information about the potentiomal for loss of vision if there was a delay in referral but no mention ever of a brain tumor. I assume the Tuesday appointment is the drop done? Possibly refraction? If you are concerned about her symptoms you should see her gp too I think.