Hi all, I just wanted to post that there is no evidence that supplements of any kind help with shortsightedness. They don't stabilize it, and they don't reduce it. If you find that your child's spectacle power differed (either increased or decreased) by 25 degrees or sometimes even 50 degrees, that could be due to a previous measurement error. There is always a bit of plus and minus in the measurements because of things like how the frame sits, whether the child was overfocusing on one day, etc. I would spend my money on other things (like nice food! )

Bates method does not work, or at least there is no properly done study out there which shows that there is any effect from it. There is also no reason why it should work. It is based on a wrong concept of how the eye works: Bates thought that the muscles outside the eye-the ‘extraocular’ muscles (which actually only move the eye in different directions) are responsible for focusing.


Many times when the Bates method seems to work-it is because the spectacle power was wrongly measured the first time. Children can overfocus very easily, even if you give them extra 100 or 200 degrees of shortsighted spectacle power, they can still see clearly. So, a child with 200 degrees could be mistakenly measured to be 400 degrees. Then if measured another time under better conditions, with more experienced optometrist or doctor, then the real measurement is obtained. Another way to make sure the correct measurement is obtained is to do cyclo refraction-where the eyes are dilated. This is helpful for younger children especially less than 10 years old or whenever the shortsightedness seems to have jumped a lot.

Atropine is a proven treatment for slowing shortsightedness from increasing. The weaker concentration 0.01% has no side effects whatsoever, unless somebody is allergic to atropine. So normal glasses can be used.

The 1% one is stronger and will dilate the eyes, so progressives and transitions (which turn dark in bright surroundings) are required.

The stabilizing effect of 1% is stronger than 0.01%, but even the 0.01% can halve the rate of progression which is useful for many people.

Normally the first time the spectacle power is checked at a doctor’s clinic, eyedrops will be used to dilate the pupil and relax the focusing muscle to make sure the child is not ‘overfocusing’, since this might cause a child to seem more shortsighted than he/she really is. This is especially true for the very young children less than 7-8 years old, and serves as a baseline.


For follow up, the spectacle power can be checked first without eyedrops and then compared with the previous measurement with eyedrops. If there is no big change in spectacle power, especially for the older kids, then there is no need to put eyedrops again. If however, the new measurement is surprisingly different (eg the shortsightedness seems to have gone up by a lot), sometimes it is a good idea to repeat the measurement with eyedrops again.

In short, for review/follow up, the dilating eyedrops are not always needed.

Hi pym,

Thanks for yr prompt response. My case is my child just has never wear spec and HPB has arranged normal health checkup n eye test for P1 students. My child last yr in K2 sch, her eye checkup is ok. No need to wear spec. N my child got a letter from HPB to hv further eye assessment at Student Health Ctr @HPB bldg. My child got eye test at sch result is 6/12, 6/18! Same diagnosed as sembgal’s kid n I hoped it diagnosed wrongly as in sembgal case. The refraction clinic did not put on eye drop at all n I cfm witj my child. The test took 15mins or so. N came with the result that my child is myopia n asti! Wondering how accurate the test is? Shld I seek pte optometrist for 2nd opinion?

Hi

No problems. It’s a bit unusual, I thought HPB could put the eyedrops too.

I would suggest as follows:
1. If the Student Health Centre found only a very low degree and did not advise to wear glasses yet, don’t worry and just get it checked again in perhaps 6 months’ time. Especially if your child also not having any visual problems in class.

2. If the myopia and astigmatism was significant and they advised to make glasses, it would be a good idea to get a measurement with the eyedrops at an eye doctor’s clinic. Normal optometry shops cannot put eyedrops, only eye doctors/ophthalmologists.

Normally the first time the spectacle power is checked at a doctor’s clinic, eyedrops will be used to dilate the pupil and relax the focusing muscle to make sure the child is not ‘overfocusing’, since this might cause a child to seem more shortsighted than he/she really is. This is especially true for the very young children less than 7-8 years old, and serves as a baseline.


For follow up, the spectacle power can be checked first without eyedrops and then compared with the previous measurement with eyedrops. If there is no big change in spectacle power, especially for the older kids, then there is no need to put eyedrops again. If however, the new measurement is surprisingly different (eg the shortsightedness seems to have gone up by a lot), sometimes it is a good idea to repeat the measurement with eyedrops again.

In short, for review/follow up, the dilating eyedrops are not always needed.

Is it possible to do without progressive lens? So long if remove glasses can see then no need to prescribe progressive lens?

How do you know when it's time to get a pair of progressive lens?

Im not keen because my mum said hers giddy

Generally those with low degrees of shortsightedness 150 to 300 degrees can see at reading distance very well without glasses. In fact they will see well at near even when they get very old. The focus distance depends on the shortsighted degree so 300 degrees can see at 1/3meter=1 foot without reading glasses even if they are 80 or 90 years old. So yes, these people can remove their distance glasses to read and don't need progressive lens.

Progressive lens tends to be useful for those without shortsightedness, or for those with very high degree of shortsightedness, or for those who don't like to keep put on/take off glasses/change glasses.

Have a look at this quora answer:
http://www.quora.com/If-youre-nearsight ... -Yong-Ming

Presbyopia is a real pain, no questions. At the moment, all ‘solutions’ are a little bit of a compromise, and everybody has to decide which option suits them best. Different situation may call for different option too. However, I would not advise looking for laser treatment if presbyopia is the only problem. The results of ‘presbyLASIK’ are unpredictable and likely to fade with time. Of course LASIK for other things like short sight and astigmatism is very effective and has been so for a long time, but for presbyopia, it doesn’t work well. Those people who are shortsighted and presbyopic as well can have monovision done with LASIK - ie one eye fully corrected for far, and the other for near. Then they don’t need glasses for far and near! But people thinking of this should try the monovision with contact lenses first, just in case cannot tahan the different power. If cannot tahan with contact lens-just stop wearing the lens. If done the LASIK and cannot tahan-more difficult…have to adjust power again with another LASIK…

LAZY EYES IN 6 YEAR OLD. ANY WAY TO CORRECT IT WITHOUT HAVING TO WEAR SPECS???


ADVISES THRU PM FOR A GOOD EYE DOCT PLS?

A lazy eye could have a number of different underlying causes, such as high and unequal spectacle power, squint, or some other eye disease such as congenital/childhood cataract.

The treatment of lazy eye must include the underlying cause, plus patching of the good eye. The sequence of treatment of these 2 aspects can differ, but both must be addressed.

eg if lazy eye is caused by high spectacle power in one eye, then the child must wear the glasses during all waking hours, plus patch for the requisite number of hours at the same time.

eg if the lazy eye is caused by a constant squint, then the laziness is usually addressed first by patching, and then squint surgery later.

eg if the lazy eye is caused by congenital cataract, then cataract surgery must be done first, and then the good eye is patched for the requisite number of hours/day after surgery.

There is some info about Atropine at this blog...http://eyesurgerysingapore.blogspot.sg/ ... ol-of.html