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Post by scrapaddict702 on Mar 12, 2021 1:27:59 GMT
My vision mildly sucks, but not so much that I'm legally required to wear corrective lenses while driving. I wore contacts for many years, but eventually my eyes grew intolerant of them and now I just deal with my poor vision (I mostly needed them in college when viewing the whiteboards from a distance...there isn't anything negatively impacting my life without using contacts or glasses now). Because I've never personally had severe vision issues, I honestly don't understand the whole concept of prescriptions as they pertain to your sight over the course of your life.
I can't seem to think about it any other way than you have $x in your bank account and the more you spend, the closer to zero you get, but in terms of vision...the worse your vision, the closer to $0 left in the bank you get and that cases of rapidly deteriorating vision (enough to shock a doctor) would increase the chances of some degree of blindness at a younger age.
My 8yo was sent home from Kinder 2 years ago with a recommendation for getting his vision checked. I ignored it at first thinking that he just goofed around (he doesn't sit still well) and the wiggling messed up his exam, but we took him in a bit later due to how close he stood to the TV to see it and at 6, he had a -5ish prescription (they gave him .5 lower so as to avoid headaches but eventually changed it to the full prescription because he didn't have issues with headaches and his vision was still not as good as it could have been). We heard from everyone just how strong of a prescription that was for someone that young, including the doctor and his staff. We didn't take him in for a vision check last year because of the pandemic, but this year they thought the change was so severe that they weren't convinced after the first test if it was accurate, so they dilated his pupils to be that much more certain. He's now walking out of the appointment with a -8 prescription in one eye and a slightly stronger one in the other eye.
Ultimately, I have no idea if his rate of deterioration could indicate serious issues for him and no amount of asking 2 years ago (I didn't attend this year due to the pandemic limiting unnecessary people in doctor's offices...my husband had his vision checked today as well so he was obviously the parent that went with him) seemed to get me any answers as to what this could mean for him in 10, 20, 50 years down the line. That means my lack of understanding in the realm of vision has me worried about things that could very well be completely unwarranted, but no one has really explained to me exactly what ultimately all of this could mean for him.
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Post by elaine on Mar 12, 2021 1:35:42 GMT
Can you explain what ELI5 means? I have no idea what to ask about to help you.
It sounds like at this point, an evaluation with an ophthalmologist may be in order. That person should be able to explain what the underlying issues may be and how they may impact your son’s future vision.
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Post by sabrinae on Mar 12, 2021 1:52:29 GMT
First I would have a full functional vision assessment done. Then I would talk to the dr about steps to preserve what vision he has left. There are studies that suggest that the use of multi-focal contacts can slow and even stop vision deterioration. My daughter had significant issues with her vision and was worsening quickly — much like your sons but not quite to that extent at about the same age. We put her into multifocal contacts and it has virtually stopped the deterioration in vision. She’s worn contacts since a few months before her 9th birthday. We initially helped her with getting them in and out but within 6 months she was getting them in and out independently. She’s now 13 and we haven’t seen any significant worsening of her vision since he started in contacts. The other option we explored was a hard contact that she wore at night while she slept and then Siri the day she wouldn’t need to wear anything. We’ve had to tweak the kind of contact she wears over the years and various measurements but it has stabilized her vision.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Mar 12, 2021 1:53:16 GMT
I am not a doctor by any means, so this is just anecdotal... My eyes are a -9.0 and a -8.5 for contacts (which I think is like a -10 and a -9 or something in actual glasses).
The thing that's dysfunctional is the lens of my eyes-- they don't focus correctly. It's not the intake of the light or the processing between the retina and the brain. Corrective lenses just focus the incoming light so that it's in focus when it hits the retina and goes to the brain.
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samantha25
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by samantha25 on Mar 12, 2021 1:59:53 GMT
I have had a minus 8 to minus 13 over my adult life, now 52 yo, not sure what my glasses prescription was in kindegarten. I did develop strabismus, eye crossing and had surgery on both eyes when I was 30 yo due to my severe near sightedness. Get a good optometrist/ophthalmologist. Do not use a chain store. I recommend Children's Hospital. My surgeon for strabismus was at Children's and I went to the pediatric wing for an exam and enjoyed the setting, even though everything geared toward children.
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Post by PolarGreen12 on Mar 12, 2021 2:01:06 GMT
Can you explain what ELI5 means? I have no idea what to ask about to help you. It sounds like at this point, an evaluation with an ophthalmologist may be in order. That person should be able to explain what the underlying issues may be and how they may impact your son’s future vision. ELI5= Explain like I’m 5 |
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Mar 12, 2021 2:09:31 GMT
Can you explain what ELI5 means? I have no idea what to ask about to help you. It sounds like at this point, an evaluation with an ophthalmologist may be in order. That person should be able to explain what the underlying issues may be and how they may impact your son’s future vision. It's a reddit term for Explain Like I'm 5.  |
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Post by elaine on Mar 12, 2021 2:12:28 GMT
Can you explain what ELI5 means? I have no idea what to ask about to help you. It sounds like at this point, an evaluation with an ophthalmologist may be in order. That person should be able to explain what the underlying issues may be and how they may impact your son’s future vision. ELI5= Explain like I’m 5 Thanks! ❤️ With that understanding, I’ll repeat that the OP needs to take her child to an ophthalmologist - we have no idea why her son’s vision is so poor at this point and getting worse. No one here can give any reliable advice as to what is going on and if it will get worse. An ophthalmologist, rather than an optometrist, would be best suited to diagnose a potential underlying medical cause as to the vision issues and give medical advice. |
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Post by elaine on Mar 12, 2021 2:13:35 GMT
Can you explain what ELI5 means? I have no idea what to ask about to help you. It sounds like at this point, an evaluation with an ophthalmologist may be in order. That person should be able to explain what the underlying issues may be and how they may impact your son’s future vision. It's a reddit term for Explain Like I'm 5.  Thanks! I don’t do Reddit - I’m old. I strongly suggest taking your son to an ophthalmologist- not an optometrist- at this point. |
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Mar 12, 2021 2:22:37 GMT
First I would have a full functional vision assessment done. Then I would talk to the dr about steps to preserve what vision he has left. There are studies that suggest that the use of multi-focal contacts can slow and even stop vision deterioration. My daughter had significant issues with her vision and was worsening quickly — much like your sons but not quite to that extent at about the same age. We put her into multifocal contacts and it has virtually stopped the deterioration in vision. She’s worn contacts since a few months before her 9th birthday. We initially helped her with getting them in and out but within 6 months she was getting them in and out independently. She’s now 13 and we haven’t seen any significant worsening of her vision since he started in contacts. The other option we explored was a hard contact that she wore at night while she slept and then Siri the day she wouldn’t need to wear anything. We’ve had to tweak the kind of contact she wears over the years and various measurements but it has stabilized her vision. We were given a pamphlet, but the doctor that works with the program wasn't in at the time and my husband just nods and doesn't think to ask questions. Because my son's vision with the adjustment for his astigmatism puts him beyond -10 (-10.5 for one eye, the other is -9.5 with astigmatism added in) they're going to call my insurance to see if he qualifies due to medical necessity based on our plan. If so, they'll cover the cost of the program until he drops under -10 (the baseline for medical necessity) and then we'd pay for it ourselves for the years following. The first year is $1750 and it is $1500/yr after that. My husband cannot under any circumstance intentionally touch his finger to his eye so I'd definitely be the one working with him if we decide to try it out. It's definitely expensive, but if we're to venture down this path, the chances of the program benefiting him are really good due to his age (it is intended for children 8-12 and he just turned 8 last month). But at this cost if insurance doesn't cover it or he ends up below the threshold for qualifying based on medical necessity somewhere down the line, he's not allowed to need braces (j/k).
I'm glad to hear that there are remedies available to him that have been helping other children, like your daughter. |
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Mar 12, 2021 2:27:40 GMT
It's a reddit term for Explain Like I'm 5. Thanks! I don’t do Reddit - I’m old. I strongly suggest taking your son to an ophthalmologist- not an optometrist- at this point. I will have to google...honestly didn't know there was a difference and would have thought that the situation would have been similar to going to a general practitioner if you needed to see a specialist, where the office would have referred us elsewhere if they felt it was necessary. I will look up a couple of offices and give them a call tomorrow. I really don't know anything about vision care because I've never needed to before. |
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Post by elaine on Mar 12, 2021 2:39:44 GMT
Thanks! I don’t do Reddit - I’m old. I strongly suggest taking your son to an ophthalmologist- not an optometrist- at this point. I will have to google...honestly didn't know there was a difference and would have thought that the situation would have been similar to going to a general practitioner if you needed to see a specialist, where the office would have referred us elsewhere if they felt it was necessary. I will look up a couple of offices and give them a call tomorrow. I really don't know anything about vision care because I've never needed to before. I have an eye condition - different from your son’s (and 99+% of the population) - and I have to see an ophthalmologist for my care. Ophthalmologists have medical degrees, whereas optometrists don’t, so they are the ones to see when there is a concern that the vision issues may be medical - rather than simply typical. In your son’s case, since you don’t have a clear explanation/diagnosis as to why this is happening, that would be the best place, IMO, to turn next. If the ophthalmologist thinks it is something that an optometrist can follow-up with, he/she should make than recommendation. |
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Mar 12, 2021 2:50:33 GMT
Thanks! I don’t do Reddit - I’m old. I strongly suggest taking your son to an ophthalmologist- not an optometrist- at this point. I will have to google...honestly didn't know there was a difference and would have thought that the situation would have been similar to going to a general practitioner if you needed to see a specialist, where the office would have referred us elsewhere if they felt it was necessary. I will look up a couple of offices and give them a call tomorrow. I really don't know anything about vision care because I've never needed to before. You might want to check in with your insurer and/or clinic group. The clinic I go to for nearly everything (primary care, urgent care, dermatology, lab) also has an ophthalmology department, so if I were going to go there (instead of the optometrist I see for my contacts), I'd likely select the one already in my practice group. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 12, 2021 4:31:13 GMT
A pediatric ophthalmologist. An opthalmologist is an eye surgeon. A children's hospital, University affiliated hospital.
My insurance does not pay for eye exams, but they pay for me to see the opthalmologist, because I had medical issues and cataracts needed surgery with lens implants.
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scrappinwithoutpeas
Pearl Clutcher
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Location: Northern Virginia
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on Mar 12, 2021 4:49:24 GMT
If you can find a pediatric ophthalmologist, they would be specifically geared toward children's vision issues. My son had strabismus as an infant and needed 2 surgeries and lots of follow-up care. All covered through medical insurance, and all care (including surgery) was done by his pediatric ophthalmologist. He now has 20-20 vision, but his vision went through a lot of changes from birth to age 10 (he's now 21).
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 12, 2021 5:09:12 GMT
Your DS needs medical treatment for his eyes. That is your priority. Not exercises and not treatment by an optometrist.
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RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
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Post by RosieKat on Mar 12, 2021 10:16:05 GMT
Agree about the opthalmologist. They put my son in special contacts beginning when he was 10 or 11. I can't recall exactly why they are special, but they have been demonstrated to reduce the rate of decline in vision. I recall one of the other options being the nighttime hard contacts someone else already mentioned. There was a 3rd option that I don't recall. I think the special contacts have helped, but his vision has still gotten worse. However, it seems to be at a slower rate than before he used them.
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Post by stormycat on Mar 12, 2021 12:03:31 GMT
Thanks! I don’t do Reddit - I’m old. I strongly suggest taking your son to an ophthalmologist- not an optometrist- at this point. I will have to google...honestly didn't know there was a difference and would have thought that the situation would have been similar to going to a general practitioner if you needed to see a specialist, where the office would have referred us elsewhere if they felt it was necessary. I will look up a couple of offices and give them a call tomorrow. I really don't know anything about vision care because I've never needed to before. Unfortunately you have needed it before and just didn’t realize. Kids should have an eye exam by an Optometrist yearly. Just like you get a physical every year and go to the dentist every 6 months. Now that there is an issue, you will move onto an ophthalmologist a pediatric one as yours son vision is a medical diagnosis now. They will do a thorough exam and not only check his vision, but the health and functions of the eyes themselves. They may also order an MRI of the brain to check for neurological issues related to vision as well. If your child had a 504 or IEP you will need to let his team now as vision/eye issues affect education significantly. I have a 4 yr old with a brain injury so he is Visually Impaired/legally blind. He is also severely nearsighted. We see a pediatric ophthalmologist every 6 months and another specialists that works on just his condition. Please if you have any questions let the peas know, there are lots of us here with similar issues. I hope you can get an appointment set up ASAP Heather |
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Post by Basket1lady on Mar 12, 2021 12:39:45 GMT
I agree that your DS needs further testing/ophthalmologist opinion. I had similar vision at that age. It worsened over time, but was still correct with glasses and contacts. It’s common for vision issues to come about in the 6-8 years range as a child’s growth happens.
It could just be the way his eyes are and nothing more sinister than that. It still needs to be investigated, but don’t panic just yet. My eyes are long and skinny and the focal point doesn’t hit on the back of the eye, but in the middle of the eye. Contacts do help with that, as they can change the shape of the eye. (I’m not speaking for the above program, as I’m not familiar with that.). I’ve lived a perfectly normal life wearing corrective lenses. A bother at times, but perfectly do-able.
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Post by sabrinae on Mar 12, 2021 13:01:39 GMT
First I would have a full functional vision assessment done. Then I would talk to the dr about steps to preserve what vision he has left. There are studies that suggest that the use of multi-focal contacts can slow and even stop vision deterioration. My daughter had significant issues with her vision and was worsening quickly — much like your sons but not quite to that extent at about the same age. We put her into multifocal contacts and it has virtually stopped the deterioration in vision. She’s worn contacts since a few months before her 9th birthday. We initially helped her with getting them in and out but within 6 months she was getting them in and out independently. She’s now 13 and we haven’t seen any significant worsening of her vision since he started in contacts. The other option we explored was a hard contact that she wore at night while she slept and then Siri the day she wouldn’t need to wear anything. We’ve had to tweak the kind of contact she wears over the years and various measurements but it has stabilized her vision. We were given a pamphlet, but the doctor that works with the program wasn't in at the time and my husband just nods and doesn't think to ask questions. Because my son's vision with the adjustment for his astigmatism puts him beyond -10 (-10.5 for one eye, the other is -9.5 with astigmatism added in) they're going to call my insurance to see if he qualifies due to medical necessity based on our plan. If so, they'll cover the cost of the program until he drops under -10 (the baseline for medical necessity) and then we'd pay for it ourselves for the years following. The first year is $1750 and it is $1500/yr after that. My husband cannot under any circumstance intentionally touch his finger to his eye so I'd definitely be the one working with him if we decide to try it out. It's definitely expensive, but if we're to venture down this path, the chances of the program benefiting him are really good due to his age (it is intended for children 8-12 and he just turned 8 last month). But at this cost if insurance doesn't cover it or he ends up below the threshold for qualifying based on medical necessity somewhere down the line, he's not allowed to need braces (j/k).
I'm glad to hear that there are remedies available to him that have been helping other children, like your daughter. I’m not sure is your if your talking about the contact options or the functional vision assessment and the related therapies and medical treatments that may come out of that. For us, our insurance treats the contacts in the same manner as any other contacts used to correct vision. Insurance covers a set amount and we pay the rest. The cost has been variable depending on which contacts she has been in. Currently she’s in a disposable contact that gets thrown out once a month. Before she’s been in daily disposables. She’s had some vision changes that required more fine tuning fo or astigmatism as well as the multifocal and one other adjustment. These ones are actually made for her upon being ordered. 1500-1700 a year is really reasonable for a years worth of contacts and fittings. Just be aware he will likely need more than a yearly exam. My daughter is participating in a study so we pay for her first exam with insurance and the office/study covers all subsequent exams. The functional vision assessment can get expensive and insurance often refuses to cover it or they will cover it but refuse to cover most of the additional treatment needed. The initial assessment is usually on the 250-400 range and will be 2-3 hours worth of testing and may include a referral to an ophthalmologist or a neuro-ophthalmologist. If the 1500-1750 a year is for this process and covers the treatment and therapies that is a really good deal. My daughter needed therapy for convergence insufficiency that was causing double vision among other issues. She ended up doing two years of therapy going to the office for two appointments a week and me working with her at home on other days. Insurance paid for two months worth of therapy. We paid out of pocket for the rest of it. It was a little over $600 for every 8 sessions/month of therapy. It was worth it though. If you have questions about how either had worked please ask. |
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by iowgirl on Mar 12, 2021 13:35:37 GMT
Can you explain what ELI5 means? Thanks! I don’t do Reddit - I’m old. I'm old. I love Reddit. I seriously think this post should go there, on ELI5 or there is probably a vision subreddit. Someone, who is an actual expert might answer it. I started with contacts when i was 16. My vision was rapidly changing,and once I started with contacts it slowed to a normal rate for my age. Still a daily contact lens wearer 40 years later. |
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