Anyone else's DC had a very sudden deterioration in eyesight?

[desperate4spring]

Took 10yo DD to the optician as I had noticed that she was struggling to read things at a distance.

Her eyesight seems to have deteriorated so quickly (last tested 11 months ago) and so drastically that they are referring her to the eye hospital for further tests.

She has been given a prescription for some glasses in the meantime, but the optician said they might not be enough to make enough of a difference to her.

Anyone else experienced anything similar? Apparently her eyes look healthy, she just can't seem to see a damn thing.

Do you have a copy of her prescription?
Long or short sighted?
Did she have glasses before?

Here is her prescription. She's not had glasses before.

I have no idea what the numbers mean!

That's really not a large prescription. She is slightly long sighted with an astigmatism in both eyes but to larger extent in her left eye (more of a rugby ball shape than round).

The larger the number in the SPH column the more long sighted she is. My dd is something like +4 and +5 in her eyes so +1 is not that high a prescription.

At least she is getting referred to get it checked out

Ok that's helpful, thank you.

My other DD also has some unexplained issues with her vision, which they think might be neurological.

It's very strange.

What was the prescription 11 months ago?

A SPH is either plus or minus and a plus would indicate that the glasses are correcting difficulty in seeing close up, not distance?

This might help you understand the coding

www.goggles4u.co.uk/understanding_rx?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-7650fHP8wIVWgWiAx3wgATtEAAYAiAAEgIqdPD_BwE

11 months ago she was very slightly long-sighted but not enough to warrant a prescription.

DD has been referred to the hospital because the prescription she now requires cannot account for her appalling eyesight. The optician kept saying "Her eyesight is below the level we would expect".

+1 is long sighted and would make it easier to see at distance and less easy to see close up.

It is still a small prescription tbh

That is not a bad prescription OP! I am not sure why the optician is making such a fuss.

Maybe she spotted something more serious that she didn't want to worry me with until it's been investigated further?

Hi OP, My daughter when in year 6, so similar age, went from not needing glasses to a prescription for almost 3, (can't remember which way round + or - ), which then increased again after 6 months, also with an astigmatism in one eye, and being described as having more "egg shaped" eyeballs. To be honest I suspect she had been struggling for some time but just got by... Anyway, the optician did not seem overly concerned, my daughter loved her spex but has recently started with disposable contact lenses. She has adapted really well, so hoping the best for your daughter too!

Forgot to add, my daughter is now thirteen

That's not a strong prescription at all. I think she is probably looking to rule out keratoconus - but this is extremely rare especially in children. It is a condition that caused rapid changes in in prescriptions.
My DS was investigated for this, but doesn't have it. Looking at your DDs prescription I would say the optician is being ultra cautious as that is not rapid deterioration, but getting a specialist involved will rule it out. It's so unlikely op, your dd most likely had a refractive error like many many people do.

Mine had a sudden change but it was age related. As a baby they couldn't test well so DD had glasses with a small prescription, +2 IIRC. We went for an appointment when she was 3 and could properly say what she could see and her prescription changed to +9 in her left eye and +7 in the right.

Just to provide some context, my dd(6) just went up from -0.5 to -1.5 (ie short sighted, not long sighted like your dd) and we got a bollocking from the optician for “letting her use screens too much”. Well, yes, for the past 18 months 90% of her education, entertainment, grandparent time, and birthday parties have been on a screen, so amazingly, yes! She has had too much screen time.

As i’m -4.5 and her dad is -7, And every single member of our family is short sighted, i can’t help thinking it may be a little genetic as well. Fwiw, even at -4.5 i don’t blunder into walls regularly, your dd’s prescription is very minor

Yes my Dd had exactly the same she last had her eyes checked just before lockdown and was 10 her eyes were pretty much fine, possible sign of future need of glasses but not prescribed any. After lockdown she was struggling to see fairly large font across a room and now wears glasses.

However, she had a huge growth spurt over lockdown of about 5 inches and the optometrist said that this and general development can impact eyesight and her dad also has a very strong prescription so could be hereditary.

Yes my dd had glasses for first time feb 20 then needed new prescription feb 21 and again may 21. Seems to be a growth thing . Hopefully will settle down.

My ds started wearing glasses when he was about 11, had been fine year before

Not a strong prescription so not sure why the optician is making a big fuss to be honest but always better to have rare complications ruled out. Girls eyesight often changes at around the time puberty kicks in. I went from seeing fine to a prescription of -3.5 in both eyes in the space of a year.

That is a very borderline prescription and would normally not make any significant improvement in her vision . If the optician has told you her eyes are healthy they haven’t found any problems within the eye to account for the reduced vision. One possibility is a non-organic loss of vision which is when the eyes are healthy but the child is not seeing as well as they should this is often a physical presentation of a child being stressed or worried about something and if this is the case it will usually resolve. However this diagnosis can only be made when all other causes have been excluded

@CaptainChannel unlikely, you can see keratoconus easily and it wouldn't manifest in a prescription like the OP's daughter.

@VikingsandDragons, @Emmmie you've confused the issue. The problem is with the amount of letters the OP's daughter is able to read on the letter chart, either with or without glasses. Reduced vision ALWAYS has to be investigated as it can have a neurological cause.

As Rodders has said though it is often due to functional vision loss (ie no route cause).

OP I've found it's worse if children are a bit stressed and are using tablets/pc too much. If you can over half term, really limit close work/pc and spend as much time outside as you can.

I know this is an old post@desperate4spring but did you get an answer on what was causing it? Going through a similar situation with DS, awaiting an appointment at the eye hospital and I'm very anxious.