My short sightedness is worse again after 2 years and I'm 29

[Lottiebugz22]

I'm 29 and short sighted. I had an eye test 2 years ago but I know it's worse again because writing is a bit blury on the TV despite wearing glasses. Apparently short sightedness stops around age 20 so now I'm worried.

Yeah don’t worry. It reverses much faster and you have a brief period of ‘not too bad’ before it gets worse in the other direction.
Or, in my case, it reverses but because I had differing prescriptions, I now have one eye short sighted and one long sighted. Ageing is grand.

Short-sightedness does not definitely stop in your 20's. It might for some but mine got progressively worse since I was 19.

My optometrist said when I got to my 40's my eyesight will improve a bit and it did but not by much.

Mine goes in fits and starts, I got to -10 in my 30s (free sight tests, yay!) and -12 in my 40s. Early 50s now and very little longsightedness, I still wear single vision glasses but have one contact lens slightly under corrected to sharpen up reading. I have a sight test every year.

I got my 1sr glasses for short sightedness at 17. The optician said the same as yours, as you stop growing, it won't get any worse. I'm 42 now and my prescription has got slightly worse at every single eye test I've had. So new lenses every 2 years without fail for me. I don't think you've got anything to worry about.

Try not to worry too much, I'm 38 and my eye sight has got worse at every appointment bar the last one. The changes haven't been huge but like you, enough to notice that the TV is a bit blurry etc... the optician has never mentioned anything unusual and I've also been under the hospital consultant for my sight for another matter and he didn't mention anything and he had my eye records.

My prescription still gets worse every time I go the optician and I'm in my 30's.
I thought that was normal!

Can I jump in and ask does your short sightedness bring significant floaters into your life? Since my short sightedness has gotten worse (I’m age 46) I’ve gotten a lot more floaters. Which get me down sometimes.

do you have a check of the retina when you are having your eyes checked?
floaters always need to be investigated. in certain situations an urgent operation is needed.

My optician advises it should settle when I stop studying, I'm now 36 and it's changed every year. I'm now -8.50 and -9.50

@Eloisedublin123

Can I jump in and ask does your short sightedness bring significant floaters into your life? Since my short sightedness has gotten worse (I’m age 46) I’ve gotten a lot more floaters. Which get me down sometimes.

According to my optician, yes. I am -8/-9. I have had floaters as long as I can remember, but they have increased somewhat as I've got older. I get a full eye health check every 2 years, with all sorts of imaging of the back/interior of the eye, and the perimeter of the retina.

If you've never had floaters and have suddenly got them, you definitely need to have a full eye health check (not just a sight test).

My optician always asks if I ever see small flashes of light inside the eye. This van be a warning sign of a retinal detachment, which people with severe short sight are more susceptible to (it's to do with how much more your eyeball has to contract to focus, I think). He says if I see flashes (and apparently I'll know if I do) get straight to an optician, or preferably A&E at Moorfields

Have to say I’m quite worried about 19yo Dd who is now -12 in both eyes. It’s so hard to find any glasses for her already. Even with ultra thinning the lenses are thick and stick out the frames and dig in and the glasses are uncomfortable. How bad will she end up?

Mine gets worse every test. I'm 26 and -12 right eye -10 left eye. Would love to have laser surgery but waiting until it settles. Also not sure if -12 is too bad for laser surgery if anyone knows? Dont know what I did to have such bad vision- was about 8 when I started wearing glasses, think my first pair were - 4 so god knows how I was surviving in school! And progressively worse since then.

I've been short sighted since I was about 8, my eyes have got worse over time. I'm now 37 and my prescription is -5.50 and -6.0. I would love to wake up one morning and just be able to see!! Sadly that's not going to happen.

@JacobReesMogadishu have to say I don't find choosing glasses too hard- and I have similar vision to your daughter. The thinning works really well and I have plastic lenses, not glass, so not too heavy. Vision Express is where I go and theyve always been so helpful.

Mine changes a lot. I’ve never heard of the idea that it stops at 20! I’m nearly 40 and -9.50 with astigmatism in both eyes. I wear contact lenses because I can’t stand glasses even with the thinnest lenses, they make my eyes look so tiny. I really worry about the risk of retinal detachment and I have a LOT of floaters. I get checked out yearly as I basically panic about it! It’s horrible having very bad eyesight.

@JacobReesMogadishu could she wear contacts? I get very dry eyes but I use Hycosan severe eye drops every night and find I can wear contacts comfortably.

My short sightedness only started in my late twenties. I my late thirties now and it’s still changing at every appointment, generally a bit worse.

It can get worse due to pregnancy too

Mom stabilised early 30’s at around -5 but with 6 week old baby I definitely need a new prescription now

I’ve had two new prescriptions in the last year. My poor eyes have been having a rough time.

-12 here. I massively prefer contacts to glasses. Having said that glasses lens technology has come on in leaps and bounds the last few years, my most recent glasses (about 3 years old now) blew me away with how much better they were than my previous pair from the same optician. Frame styles are restricted though and there is still a bit of peripheral distortion.

I have always had floaters and think they may have got a bit worse over the years but I only tend to notice them if I look up at the sky. I have contact lens checkups every 6 months, full testing including retinal scams etc every year and know which hospital my nearest eye emergency clinic is at.

I've been told my prescription would only be part changed by laser surgery, back to maybe -6 but lens replacement would work. I've never looked into it seriously though, I'm happy with my contacts.

I’m 34, -6 in both and it keeps slowly getting worse! Needed glasses since I was about 5-6.

My mum was -10 and had lens replacement done at the same time she had her cataracts done aged 65 ish. She didn’t need to wear glasses after that at all and said it was amazing. It doesn’t reduce your risk of retinal detachment however as the eye has already been stretched by being short sighted so for me I wouldn’t want to put myself through the risk of the operation if that didn’t change the risk of retinal detachment (which is the main thing I worry about being short sighted). Mum did say how amazing it was to wake up and be able to see (without needing her glasses).

I’m 43 and my February eye test was the first where the optician felt there was no change to my prescription (I’ve worn glasses for short sightedness since I was 15). Longsightedness and varifocals next on the agenda!

Never heard of retinal detachment before until reading this thread! Googled and aware now. I’ve always had a lot of floaters, which my optician often asks if I have and stated is normal for my prescription.

Lots of joy on this thread, good thing to know about retinal detachment and the risk!

Growing up I always thought my dad was really short sighted (and I inherited it). When I was older I found out his prescription is -2. Mine is -7.5...

It has changed over the years but mostly by 0.25 in one eye or the other so it did mostly settle and then need tweaks.

As a PP said, ageing is grand. I am now -7.5 AND +0.5. Can’t see shit without my glasses on and can’t read small print with the damn things on. I am that person getting their phone out in the restaurant to use the torch to read the menu

It’s worse with my contacts . Bifocals are looming.