12yr old with 20/400 vision

[nurse555]

My son approx. 3 years ago had 20/20 vision.  Then on a routine eye check at school he had 20/50 in one eye and 20/55 in the other.  The next year it had gotten worse.  Now this year his eye exam revealed his vision is 20/400 in both eyes.  All eye exams have been performed by the same Dr. My son has been very compliant with wearing his glasses.  Of course he has because he cannot see without them... Is this a common occurance?  I know abnormal vision is not normal but do you see this abrupt of a change in children very often? Is there any underlying conditions that we should be looking for that causes changes in vision?  No one else in the family has any vision trouble.  We do not even wear glasses.  My son is over weight and my father-in-law is diabetic....is there a possibility of diabetes?? He does not seem to have any other symptoms though?? Should I monitor a fasting glucose??
Thanks for some info...A Worried Mother

[dukey]

Just keep an eye out for pathological myopia in his later years. However, I am sure by that time, it will be a largely treatable condition.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Glad things turned out good and no glaucoma or pressure problems.

JCH MD

[nurse555]

my son (typical boy) cannot remember to wash his ears....Contacts right now are OUT of the question.  I do not think he is responsible enough.  Boys are very different than girls when it comes to responsibility.

[AnnaE]

That idiot works for the optometrist--the optometrist is responsible and your should tell her to re-file correctly/

Remember that optometrists are for filling lens Rx only.Not for medical opinions.

[AnnaE]

I had no contacts until 18, because my parents would not pay. My daughter had glasses 14, contacts at 8. We are vain women. You have a boy. Probably different.

Take him to that or another Opthomalogist every year.

Did the doc say anthing about lattice degeneration?

Write down all he says.

Best to both of you.

Anna

[nurse555]

HELLO ALL. IT'S ME AGAIN.  I TOOK MY SON TO THE NEW DOCTOR.  HE STATED THAT HE IS DEFINETLY NEARSIGHTED.  THIS DOCTOR CHECKED HIM WITH HIS GLASSES ON.  THE OLD DOCTOR CHECKED HIM WITHOUT GLASSES.  BOTH CAME UP WITH APPROX. 20/400 VISION.  PERSCRIPTIONS WERE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY.  OLD DOC. -2.5 IN BOTH EYES.  NEW DOC. -2.25 IN ONE AND -2.75 IN THE OTHER. SO NOW WHAT DO I DO??? IS THE DIFFERENCE IN SCRIPTS ENOUGH TO MAKE THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE IN HIS SEEING????? THE NEW DOC SAID ABSOULTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT....NO GLAUCOMA!!!!! THE ONLY CHANGES HE SEEN IN HIS EYES WERE NORMAL CHANGES SEEN IN NEARSIGHTED PEOPLE.  HE SAID TO EXPECT HIS VISION TO GET WORSE EVERY YEARUNTIL HE IS ABOUT 19 OR 20YRS OLD.  SAID HE IS A PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR CONTACTS WHEN HE IS OLDER (I SAID MORE RESPONSIBLE) AND SURGERY TO CORRECT VISION AFTER HE LEVELS OUT AT  19 OR 20YRS OR MIDDLE ADULTHOOD.   I FEEL MUCH BETTER.  THIS DOCTOR SAID THE SAME THING OUR ORIGINAL DOCTOR HAD TOLD US.  I DO NOT BELIEVE OUR ORIGINAL DOCTOR SHOULD EVER HAVE THAT PERSON THAT TOLD US ALL OF THAT BULL**** TO FILL FOR HER AGAIN.

[AnnaE]

I hope you will feel so much better. If you can, report his pressure to us. I bet you have been nervous about this.

I hope your son is fine.

[nurse555]

thanks.  I'll let you know what I find out Monday.. The doctor I'm going to Monday is an eye surgeon (opthalmalologist).      

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Get him under the care of an Eye MD.  That office you went to sounds like they are gaming the insurance company.

JCH MD

[nurse555]

He's going Monday

[AnnaE]

See message above

[AnnaE]

Take him to an Eye MD. Do you need a referral, or why are you resisting

[nurse555]

I call the office again before I went to work. They told me that they only filed the visit that way because they were watching him for glaucoma.... he did not have it....but since his gradfather had it they were filing it that way because he aws beeing screened for it... I said oh that is good but neither grandfather has it... His mother is borderline (been diagnosed but not started on drops yet... When asked if his pressures were normal during the visit .. they answered that there was no indication at all of glaucoma and all pressures were normal...I asked so what were his exact pressure.. response..23in one and 25 in the other!!  I did find out that the Doctor that seen him was not his regular doctor. The office had to have a fill in due to a family emergency.(the doctors parents had been in an auto crash and hospitalized.) I also found out that his doctor is an OD. Needless to say I am taking him to another doctor on Monday for a second opinion.  God idea??????

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

-

[dukey]

......alawys blaiming tha kebyoard!

[dukey]

Yeh without my glasses I think my vision would be classed as "count fingers" but I don't even think I can do that more than a foot or two! haha

This whole situation sounds bizarre to say the least BUT juvenile glaucoma is a known condition but family history over two generations would be expected. Change doc's ASAP just in case. If he is fiddling the insurance, punch him in the face!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

CHANGE DOCTORS IMMEDIATELY TO A OPHTHALMOLOGIST.

Note: Unless there is a family history of glaucoma is COULD BE that this is improper filing of insurance. Its been known to have been done to "invent" a diagnosis to get paid under a health insurance policy.

If it were my child I would ask the optom office why in the world that diagnsis was used.

Your child is not highly myopic.  I'm more nearsighted than your son and I do eye surgery. REMEMBER HIS NEAR/READING VISION WITHOUT GLASSES IS 20/20

Find an Eye MD at www.aao.org

CJH MD

[nurse555]

My son's prescription for his lenses is -2.50 for both eyes.  They did file his visit on our medical insurance but failed to inform my husband that he has a diagnosis of glaucoma ocular hypertension.....He is 12yrs old.... Don't you feel this was important info for us to know.  And shouldn't he had been referred to an opthalmologist.

[AnnaE]

Miche=might. My keyboard.

[AnnaE]

Follow the ophthalmolgist's advice not the optometrist's. The optometrist should fill glasses RX, that's all. If the optometrist notices something important, check it out with the ophthalmologist.

It's like the babysitter and the teacher. They are different kinds of help, at different levels of education. You would not leave your child's education to a normal 16 year old babysitter,

The eye doctor does eye care, the optometrist does lens RX that the doctor orders.
The babysitter miche help with homework from the teacher.

[nurse555]

I am not sure but I will call and find out in the morning.  My husband took him to the optometrist. ( I had to work ) I'll write back in the morning with this info.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

For his annual exams I would take him to an Eye MD ophthalmologist not an optometrist.   What is his glasses prescription (the numbers for each eye)?

JCH MD

[nurse555]

Well Do you think I need to take him to an ophthalmologist or just calm the heck down......

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You are missing the whole point here.  What counts is his vision WITH glasses not without. Don't get hung up on vision without glasses.

JCH MD