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Re: 3.5 Years Old Diagnosed as Farsighted
Lianne wrote:
Hi there, My 3.5 yr old just had drops put in his eyes in order for the optometrist to check his vision without him accommodating. She has informed us that he has farsightedness… approx 5.5? She is saying he needs glasses. I'm very confused though. My son knows all his letters, and is a master at Nintendo DS (requiring close vision). I know he must be able to see clearly enough to do these things. He is a very challenging child and I know he will never leave glasses on. He was uncooperative for most of the appt. I'm afraid she didn't get an accurate exam. I'm thinking of waiting another 6 months or so, and having him checked again for a second opinion. I don't want him to have to wear glasses. I've read that many children diagnosed at a young age, will outgrow farsightedness. If I wait, do I risk making his vision worse? If we get glasses and he won't keep them on, is that going to mess up his vision even more (switching between glasses and no glasses)? Could he outgrow this on his own with strengthening exercises instead (e.g. patching the eyes)? Could the testing be wrong at all? She had him look through 2 lenses to ask if it helped, but he didn't really answer. So I do not understand how she is determining that he's farsighted? Thank you,
Dr. Sonja Gascoyne's response:
Dear Lianne The optometrist put drops into your child’s eyes in order to measure his full prescription. Children are able to pull things into focus which is how your child has managed until now. He is straining his eyes but children usually do not complain. If you feel unsure about the eye examination then it might be a good idea to have another one – the child might cooperate this time as the test will be familiar. As the child grows he might have an improvement in the prescription. Wearing spectacles will not improve or make his eyes worse but he will be able to see fine detail. A bit of encouragement from family and friends help children wear their spectacles. Exercises and patching are used to treat specific eye conditions –often referred to as a “lazy eye” or a “weak eye”. Your child may not require this treatment.
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