short-sightedness question - will it just keep getting worse and worse?

[ilovespinach]

I've been wearing glasses/lenses now for about 20 years and everytime I go to the opticians, my eye-sight is worse. I've not been for a while but I'm currently -5 / -5.25 and I've got quite bad astigmatism. I need to go again because things are getting blurry I hope the kidshave inherited dh's perfect vision.....

Does anyone know what happens with short-sightedness? Will it just keep getting worse and worse or will it level off?

I'm slightly more short-sighted than you and also have an astigmatism. I've worn glasses for nearly 30 years. At my sight test last week I was told that my sight has actually improved!

Short-sightedness usually stabilises by mid to late twenties (when the eyeball stops growing), but this doesn't happen in every case always. How old are you? It may stop getting worse depending on your age. I'm 29 and -4.50 in both eyes and I think my sight has now levelled off. My last eye test was 16 months ago and they haven't got any worse. (Touch wood)!

I've worn glasses since I was about 8 (am 37 now). My vision did continue to get worse until it finally levelled off at -8 around 5 years ago. Interestingly, I read somewhere about a link between contraceptive pills and vision and after many, many years on various pills I am now pill-free. Can't say for sure if there is a connection.

My sight deteriorated rapidly from 14-27, and since then has only got worse slowly (new glasses every two years and only a small change at that). I'm -6.25/-5 and have astimagtism and squint

I have been shortsighted with an astigmatism since I was 9. Now 44, and when I went to the optician last Saturday, they said one of my eyes had actually improved. It does level off. Only trouble is, they are now testing me for long-sightedness and talking about the need for reading glasses (I wear contact lenses) - sign of old age looming

i'm almost 32. Inoticed a big deteriation (sp) in my 20s when I started using a computer everyday.They arestill getting worse though. I'm really overdue at the opticians must go next month!!

You better get off of Mumsnet then ilovespinach! lol.

I know what you mean about computers. I worked in an office for 6 years and my eyes deteriorated rapidly. Since I stopped office work they haven't gottn any worse. So it go's to show that it's not just the growth of the eye that causes the eyes to deteriorate. Close work and computers are a sure factor for making myopes even blinder!

You just need to get old - I hit 40 and found I needed some (whisper) weak reading glasses when wearing contacts or had to take glasses off to read, but then went for a contact lens check 6 months later and found my prescription had come down by a half from 3.75 to 3.25 so just wear that all the time now and don't need the reading glasses.

I started wearing glasses at age 12. Im now a -6.5 & -5.5 with astigmatisims. I hate having to fork out a fortune for glasses every year and I can't wear contacts.
I was told my vision would stabalise in my early 20's. I'm n early 30 and nothing even close to stable has happened. I am so shortsighted I swear I am becoming longsighted.