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Children's health

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Original poster

Taken my daughter to the opticians today and looking for some advice please?

24 replies

Smithy01 · 04/05/2019 20:05

I have taken my 13 year old to the opticians today, she was last checked about 3/4 years ago with no problems. Today the optician has mentioned she has a lazy eye and then she is near sighted in one eye and far sighted in the other. During the appointment my daughter was very nervous and then was clearly upset with tears rolling down her face. He continued with the test regardless and give no info on the prescription etc. I know I should have asked more but at the time I just wanted to comfort my daughter. Since coming home I’m concerned, I thought lazy eye was something in younger children and being near sighted in one eye and far in the other is rare? Does anyone have any knowledge? I will be contacting them on Tuesday regarding this but I’m quite worried about the whole appointment.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

BackforGood · 05/05/2019 00:13

Sorry, I'm confused.
Why was she crying ?

TheCanterburyWhales · 05/05/2019 00:16

So you didn't ask what the next step is? Whether she needs glasses etc? Is that what you mean?
Why was she so upset?

TrickyKid · 05/05/2019 00:18

I don't understand. Were you on the room all the time? What did she say upset her?

HugAndRoll · 05/05/2019 00:21

I'm short sighted in one eye and long sighted in the other. My eyes also don't work together so even though my prescription is only slight, I need to wear glasses to prevent eye strain, double vision, and blank spots.

I did ask if that meant I had a lazy eye, and technically I don't, but on the other hand, with two weak eyes you could also say both of them are lazy. Nobody has ever noticed (other than the optician), though if I'm tired one eye does drift slightly.

Is she worried someone will tease her for it? I can't see glasses being much of an issue these day, people wear fake ones because they're "cool" don't they?

Original poster

Smithy01 · 05/05/2019 08:09

Sorry I should have been clearer she was upset because it was a shock to her I think, she has had no problems seeing at school etc and to be honest the optician didn’t make any effort to make her at ease. He didn’t explain what he was doing and didn’t ask her name, introduce himself or generally try to make her a little more comfortable because it was clear she was nervous. When she had problems reading the letters with one eye she started to panic and he could have stopped explained what was happening etc but he just carried on and said nothing, even when upset he just ignored it. He said she needs to wear glasses all the time and that contact lenses aren’t an option. This is when she became really upset, she doesn’t want to wear glasses. I do know she will have to and I’m not looking to stop that but I have now been told that glasses aren’t the best option for lazy eye or far and near sighted eyes so just wondered if anyone else had any experience

OP posts:

MaudAndOtherPoems · 05/05/2019 08:17

Who told you that glasses aren’t the best option, as it obviously wasn’t the optician?

My DC has a lazy eye and wears glasses for the same reasons as HugAndRoll. Lazy eyes don’t (as far as I know) ever go away. The point about childhood is that that’s when they’re usually picked up and when (for example) the child might need to wear a patch to train the muscles in the lazy eye. Lazy eyes are hereditary in my family. Mine was picked up when I was eleven. I had to do eye exercises, but not wear a patch.

StrongTea · 05/05/2019 08:22

The optician sounds very unprofessional. Were you handed over to a dispensing optician who explained what type of lenses/specs were needed? Not surprised your daughter was upset. If you have a prescription you can go to any opticians with it.

Original poster

Smithy01 · 05/05/2019 08:28

MaudAndOtherPoems I have been told about a patch/exercise for a lazy eye and I was just looking for clarity on when a lazy eye can occur, I thought it was quite early on but my daughter had eye tests previously and nothing was picked up but if yours wasn’t picked up until 11 then it obviously can occur later on in childhood. I think if the optician had handled the appointment better and given us information I would feel more confident/understand what had been said. Although some of that is my fault because I just wanted to explain to my daughter that it would be ok and not to panic; I should have asked more questions.

OP posts:

Summersunshine2 · 05/05/2019 08:39

Don't panic you can just ring Tuesday and ask and go back in and get your prescription.
I would suggest not mentioning it to your daughter again until after you speak with them if she is stressed.
Then maybe take her into town when you have a free day to a few different opticians (not this awful one!) to try glasses on. Make it fun with no pressure. Maybe a nice lunch out too?
Get a recommendation next time for a diff optician!

Summersunshine2 · 05/05/2019 08:43

Meant to add I had glasses around 11 too for lazy eye. Not sure if I had ever been to an optician before that.
If she has no problems seeing in school would you consider taking her for a new app somewhere else incase you get diff advise?
I most confess the glasses just gave me headaches. I have never worn them long term. I have one strong eye which just makes up for the other.

sleepwhenimred · 05/05/2019 08:45

Were you given a copy of her prescription you could show us?

Original poster

Smithy01 · 05/05/2019 08:49

Thank you all for your replies, I am going to contact the optician’s Tuesday just for some clarity and after seeing what is said by them I think I will take her to another opticians too. Her prescription is -1.5 in one eye, then the other eye was tested (be it with tears rolling down her face) at +0.5.

OP posts:

Quartz2208 · 05/05/2019 08:50

BOth myself and Dd are near sighted with lazy eyes (squint)

Glasses are not treatments. They correct the near sighted vision and if she needs a prescription are fine

Squints need separate treatment and exercises- I’m surprised she was not referred to the local eye clinic at hospital

federationrep · 05/05/2019 09:01

DH and I have worn glasses since childhood. DD1 first had her eyes tested at age 9 and we explained clearly to her that she might need glasses and what sort of tests would be carried out. I take all 3 DC for eye tests, so far only DD1 has glasses. Lots of children do and there are so many styles to choose from there's no longer a stigma of the NHS pink or blue frames from our childhood. Sight tests for children are free, I don't understand why more people don't get it done. DD's friend nagged her mum for glasses to be like DD and was taken by her DM fully expecting that she would be told she had perfect vision. However not only did she need glasses a condition that would ultimately have taken her sight in one eye was detected.
It sounds like your optician was quite brusque. I'd talk to friends who are glasses wearers or have children who do and get them to recommend an optician. I wouldn't put any store in results from a test on an upset child with tears in her eyes (can you see well after a good sob, I know I can't). Take a list of questions. But explain to DD there probably is a chance she will need something to correct her vision, but you will find out the options. If she needs glasses would she like her bestie to help her choose. DD takes selfies to help her choose. Work out your budget beforehand, she'll get free lenses but you might want to pay extra for designer frames or sunglasses.
Sorry that's a bit of an essay but I hope it helps you both

PenelopeFlintstone · 05/05/2019 09:10

I have one shortsighted and one longsighted eye. It's called monovision.
If she can see okay then I think they don't worry about glasses. The brain sorts it out itself by ignoring messages from the eye that doesn't see as well the thing that's being looked at. Mind blowing, I know.
Now that I'm 50 I do have glasses as the nearsighted eye is showing the usual signs of ageing.
It was very hard to get the glasses right, as adding glasses to monovision often results in double vision. So, if she can see okay then there's no need for glasses. That's what my optometrist told me anyway, and it worked for me.
I don't know about the lazy eye though.

Original poster

Smithy01 · 05/05/2019 09:15

She has had previous tests, all with no sight issues. She did choose two pair of glasses yesterday but I know this was a mistake, she needs another test for one and she wasn’t in any fit state to make her choices then. I should have stepped in and said we were leaving it for now. I’m going to ring tomorrow (there open and cancel the glasses before they order them and speak to someone)

OP posts:

DiscoDown · 05/05/2019 10:43

Hi, I'm an optician. With a lazy eye (one eye doesn't see so well or one eye turns), they develop in very early childhood and can be treated by patching and surgeries (if the eye turns) to help correct the vision, however, after the age of 7 or 8 this doesn't work due to developmental changes. If a child has a lazy eye beyond this it will stay lazy into adulthood. If your daughter has never had a lazy eye she's unlikely to have suddenly developed one, with her being upset and crying during the test this will have affected the accuracy too. I'd be inclined to have her tested again elsewhere to be honest, let them know you've had another test elsewhere though. Hope this helps.

greatbigwho · 05/05/2019 12:55

I had a lazy eye as a 9/10 year old, and had one op at 11 and another at 12 to rectify it. I'm also both best and far sighted - happy to answer any questions!

underneaththeash · 05/05/2019 14:46

It is fairly rare to be longsighted in one eye and not in the other, but it is possible that the long sighted eye will become short-sighted and they'll end up being more similar. It's actually called antimetropia.

Yes, she does need to wear glasses, her current prescription will mean that she's not using both eyes together and may encourage her short-sighted eye to become more short-sighted.I'd ask again about the contacts though.

I'm not sure that the Optometrist meant lazy as in the type of lazy eyes people with squints/high prescriptions get, although it may be that her uncorrected vision in the longsighted eye isn't as good as the other eye.

Anyway, he/she has clearly not explained everything very well to you and I'd just ask to speak to the Optometrist again. You can have another test elsewhere, but you're only entitled to one under the NHS every 1-2 years, so you'd probably need to pay. It would be easier just to speak to the original Optometrist.

Quartz2208 · 05/05/2019 15:39

You need to I think get another eye test and properly sort out exactly what it is and what they have found. And take it from there

And your daughter needs to remain calm - glasses are fine. In the end most people end up wearing them

Original poster

Smithy01 · 05/05/2019 15:55

Thanks for all the advise, I’m happy to pay for a second test, I have no confidence in the place we’ve just been. I will speak to them but I would prefer to speak to another Optometrist than the one we saw yesterday, he wasn’t good in his manner or the way he managed the appointment. My daughter has calmed down now and will wear the glasses but I think we may try contact lenses if the prescription is correct.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 05/05/2019 21:42

Lazy eye does not equal a squint, it means one eye has poorer sight than the other. It is quite a small prescription tbh. Kids eyes should be tested annually but you might want to try a different optician next time if he wasn't approachable and welcoming

SushiGo · 05/05/2019 21:47

I'm glad you're going to have a seconfmd test, I'm not an optician so can't comment on the results, but their manner was clearly awful.

Ask on a local fb group for best optician for a nervous patient - we have one locally that is an independent place and is fantastic with kids and nervous customers.

dementedpixie · 05/05/2019 21:55

It's an independent optician we use and they are really good with the kids. Dd is long sighted and has worn glasses since she was 18 months old (now 15). She had a squint due to a lazy eye which was treated using a patch.

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