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

[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

[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]

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]

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.

[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.

[AnnaE]

Miche=might. My keyboard.