GP, optician or/and someone else?

[vvviola]

(Not in UK, so not looking for specific recommendations, more ideas of where your first port of call might be)

About 8 months ago we noticed DD1 (6 & half) watches tv with her head turned to one side. I thought there might have been an eyesight issue so brought her to the local school eye testing service, who gave her a basic check and said there was no problem with her eye sight and that if it was a muscular issue it would sort itself out (and that they weren't concerned about eyesight til they turned 8 anyway)

I took them at their word, and it actually seemed to improve a bit. But I've noticed again recently that it has become more pronounced.

I tried asking her about it today and she said that when she looks straight ahead she doesn't feel like she should be looking that way, but also that her ear hurts if she looks with her head turned the other way.

She doesn't appear to be having issues at school - she's doing well, achieving all her goals and generally seems happy and well liked. But she says she listens to/watches the teacher the same way.

There is obviously something going on, but I'm not sure where to start investigating, especially as she was dismissed from school eyesight service, and she had her ears (physically, not hearing) checked recently for other reasons (unexplained high temperature) and there is no issue there. She last had her hearing checked at 4 and had no issues.

Sorry for the essay. I'm just a bit concerned and we've eyesight and hearing issues in the family (DH reduced hearing in one ear, he claims from messing with fireworks as a child, but I suspect other reasons as his mum denies he even saw fireworks; and I'm very short sighted)

Any thoughts or ideas?

I would start with the gp, if you have a good one. If the gp does not come up with an answer and/or refer you to someone then maybe an opthalmologist next?

Was the eye test that she had a thorough exam or just a quick look at a chart?
A proper eye exam will look at the back of her eyes & if you explain her symptoms they will be able to do extra field of vision tests. If you were in the UK I would definitely say optician first.

Saying that my DS wears hearing aids & I can always tell when his hearing has changed as he turns his head slightly, so his better ear is towards the sound. So I'd get that checked again too. If she's been unwell with a cold she could be not hearing so well.

Good luck

It was just the chart, Draughts. That's something that didn't occur to me actually.

I've got a free couple of hours on Tuesday after picking her up from school where I won't have her little sister with me, so I might try for a GP appointment and/or an optician visit. And see where we go from there.

I'm just afraid of missing something that proves more difficult to sort out when she's older.

Sometimes children use an abnormal head posture to reduce/eliminate diplopia (double vision), or to reduce eyestrain if one of the eye muscles is weak.

I would book a full eye examination on Tuesday afternoon (which is completely free) and the Optometrist can do a full examination - including all the muscle balance check and give you an idea of what - if anything, is wrong.

You will probably need a referral anyway, but the Optometrist's report will help with GP direct the referral properly.

I would try and go private. It's a 12 week wait
In the nhs. I know, I needed one. We just went private.

Given her age she is on the upper limit of correction working if it is reducd vision in one eye. If they can give you a urgent refferal I would book a private appointment and get back into the nhs later.