Can my DS eye test result be wrong?

[Teriwith3]

My DS who's 5 recently went for a routine eye test at the opticians (not a school, as they don't do school eye tests in our area).

The optician has said he is very long-sighted, and also has astigmatism, and needs to wear glasses 24/7.

I am really shocked as I thought he's eyesight was fine, and hadn't noticed any problems. He's school teacher is also surprised, and hadn't picked up on him having any problems at all.

We picked up the new glasses on saturday, and DS is having problems with them. He says that he can't see some things properly, and keeps taking them off when he is playing with toys, so he can see the toys properly (which the glasses should help with things close up). I know the optician said it might take him some time to adjust to the glasses, but if he's long-sighted, should it not help with close vision immediately?

I'm not sure if I'm just in denial, as I was a bit upset and shocked when I found out he needed glasses. I just wanted to check if anybody else has had any problems with wrong results from an eye test? I can't see how it can be wrong, as they tested his prescription with the eye drops, but I just feel that something isn't right...

I'm afraid I don't know the answer, but I'll be watching with interest. DS (16 months) had his eye test last week and they said he is still very long sighted and has astigmatism in both eyes. We're off to get his new glasses on Saturday.

DH & I are quite surprised as he can see a pea drop onto a dark patterened tablecloth and make a go for it, and I just find the whole thing a bit odd. The way the dr explained it though is that ds can see the item (ie the pea) but it is fairly blurry. He doesn't seem to strain to see anything, so I'm unsure.

Same thing here, it just seems odd. DS has always been good at picking out small detail, especially with he's toys, so I find it hard to believe that he's sight is that bad.

I might go somewhere else for a second eye test, and see what they say. I'm just worried that DS could be damaging he's eyes wearing glasses with the wrong prescription.

Hi Teriwith3. Does Ds have an eye that turns in at all (squint or strabismus) or did the optometrist say he had a lazy eye?
Young children have a lot of focusing power (accommodative power) and can appear to cope with mild to moderate longsightedness (hypermetropia) by using the muscles that control focussing (cilliary muscle. This focusing mechanism is linked to the mechanism to turn the eyes in for closer work - convergence. So when accommodation occurs so does convergence. (This can be slightly different in each child and is assessed in the eyetest). So in an uncorrected hypermetropic child the focusing to overcome the hypermetropia brings in unwanted overconvergence. This can cause an eye to turn in or at the least the eye muscles struggling to overcome the overconvergence and focusing can be poorly sustained! Visual development (still continuing at age 5) can (will if high) be affected by uncorrected hypermetropia and astigmatism and squints.
The ciliary muscles of young children are very strong and thats why (cycloplegic) drops (that temporarily paralyse the ciliary muscles) are put in to test the eyes of children. If the muscle have been in a very overactive state all the childs life - it can take a while to adjust even for a child!
If Ds is still struggling to adapt in a couple more days go back to the optometrist. HTH Magso

Hi Magso, thanks very much for that. Would explain why he is struggling with the glasses.

DS doesn't have any kind of squint or lazy eye. To be honest, I thought he had perfect eye sight, and only took him for the eye test as they no longer do them at school in our area. My youngest DS (6 months) does have a lazy eye, and has been referred to the hospital.

As a grwon up person with a lazy eye can I just say that before I had my glasses (I got them when I was about 4/5) I didn't strain to see anything either but I didn't know there was anything 'wrong' with my eyes IYSWIM. I just thought that was how you see things and was used to my 'view' of the world so didn't need to strain to see things because I didn't think I had to. This was also the case with my double vision because I didn't realise until I was about 10 or 11 that this wasn't how you were supposed to see things - OK I know that makes me sound a bit thick for not really cottoning on - so didn't bother mentioning it at home.

HTH

Hi again! I would still go back if he is struggling after a week or so! Or if it was an eye clinic where waits can be longer than desirable get the dispenser to check the specs are made up right.
Specs with high astigmatism can be hard to adapt to - as they can affect perspective (squares may not look square IYSWIM) a little. Specs for longsight can make things look bigger or nearer.

Hi WedgiesMum, I know what you mean, it doesn't make you sound thick. I had the same thing when I had glasses for short-sightedness as a teenager. I didn't realise how much everybody else could see until I put the glasses on!

Hi, just wondering how your son is getting on!? My son is the same and we have delayed getting his glasses. We are waiting to get a second opinion as he can see well but they say he has plus 5 and 6 hypermetropia. Im worried he won't be able to see right with the glasses and its dating as he has to be trained into them and wear glasses for life.