high degree of hypermetropia in child

Our child is 13, he is plus 7.75 in his left eye, at 9 he was plus 4.5 since then it has increased to the present level.At the regular eye checks we are reassured it will level off - but it doesn't and I dread the next appointment.

I am plus 7 at 55 and I am sure that at his age I could have only been plus 2 or so, consequently I think what is the child going to be like at my age. Can you comment please?

[Forum-OD-MP]

your rx probably has little to do with his.  i mean you are hyperopic and that is certainly related to his hyperopia, but just b/c you were +2 at this age and he's +7 DOES NOT MEAN that he will turn out to be 5 diopters more hyperopic than you (+12?).  what his rx will be is pretty much still up in the air.  could still easily go either way.  it will someday level off.  probably soon.  

get him in contact lenses as soon as possible, i'm not kidding.  easier to make changes to his rx if he's still going to have changes, safer to play sports in, and believe it or not he will most likely SEE BETTER than he will in glasses.  +7.75 glasses have prismatic effect and distortions and high order aberrations (i'm sure you know!) that are not present in contacts.  the contacts will not make him progress less or be in any realy way therapeutic, but it'll get him out of being so dependent on expensive, heavy, unattractive glasses, it'll improve the way he looks, and he will probably see significantly better as well.  i try to get all my significant hyperopes (over say +4) in contacts as early as possible.

[douglasi]

Thank you, much appreciated.

I wore contacts for a while, unfortunately a propensity to dry eyes seem to be another family characteristic!

I feel nervious encouraging him to start on them so early in life (although we will take your advice)as after 7 years or so I eventually had to give in due to discomfort notwithstanding varying lenses.

I understand that not many people stick to contact lenses for a significant lenght of time (or so I was told by our optician who had presumably read it in his newsletters/journals (UK))although I know people who are so concerned about their appeaerance that they are prepared to tolerate the discomfort.

Do you really think his perscription might come down, I do hope so but I rather fear it will only go in the one direction long term.

[Ag-i-doc]

his rx could definitely "come down".  of course it could still "go up" as well.

2004-2005 was a HUGE year in the contact lens industry.  more new products than in previous years, and a complete change in the way most eye docs rx contact lenses.  we're all doing more and more SILICONE lenses.

*most* people have problems with the old style of plastic soft contact lenses.  very, very common.

silicone is much better as far as long term "dropout" from discomfort is concerned (like your optician is mentioning).

many, many new products.  i am certainly not telling you what to do, but 13 is not young at all.  we have fit 5 year olds, and we fit 10 year olds all the time.

[douglasi]

thanks for your reply.

Speaking of the same child, he is very caught up with internet computer games.

I have managed to reduce his use to 6 hrs per day at week ends and three hours per day during the week but he craves these additctive games with others around the world.

Is this type of, perhaps excessive, computer use going to increase the likihood of a higher perscription in your opinion please?

[douglasi]

Thanks for previous advice.

Please could you comment on the effect of sustained computer use with a child who has this perscription.