All About Kids' Eye-sight
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May I know where to buy an eye chart? Tks!
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Just to share this book I happened to come across :
The Secret of Perfect Vision: How You Can Prevent and Reverse Nearsightedness
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Perfect-Vision-Prevent-Nearsightedness/dp/1556436777/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254924159&sr=1-1 -
Eye Charts can be downloaded from this site:
http://www.i-see.org/eyecharts.html -
Hi all!
Just to share my experience here specially to those parents who are unsure about the accuracy of HPB's prescriptions and for those keen in Myovision lens.
Last year, my son was being referred to HPB for eye-check for myopia, he was k1 then. It was prescribed that he was short-sighted. Right 175, left 100. Hubby and i decided not to let him wear specs as we weren't sure how accurate was the prescription as DS was not very fluent with his ABCs then. We understand that pictures will be used for such cases, but DS was not very comfortable with the eye-check environment and the optometrist, so he wasn't very cooperative in his answers. Moreover, he did not squint his eyes while looking at things which were far and neither did he complain that he couldn't see the board in class.
Fast forward one year now and he went for the HPB eye-check again. Right 325, left 275. We finally brought him to an optical shop to have a second opinion and if needed, prescribe specs. Went to Spectacles Hut and DS was asked to look into a machine [now then i know that the machine is to give the optician a rough gauge (80% accuracy) of the child's eyes degree]. DS then went for the eye-chart reading test in the room. [note: if you decide not to prescript specs after this test, you will be charged $25 for it] Results: Right 350, left 250. Was told that a difference in prescription of 25degrees is considered normal.
Verdict: We regret that the stubborn us did not prescribe specs for DS last year. The HPB test is accurate even for children who are not fluent in ABCs.
We went ahead with the optician's suggestion to prescribe Myovision for DS, cuz was thinking we should do the best that we could as parents. Prices: $248 for the thicker lens, $360 for the thinner (hence lighter), break-resistant lens, as quoted by the optician. Both types are plastic lens, have UV protection (or was it anti-glare?) and anti-scratch. We chose the latter. They are currently having a promotion, the frame comes free with the lens for those who are keen. Was asked to go back for a free eye-check in 9-12months time. Will update again. Fingers crossed that there will be minimal increase in the powers.
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Yes, having a suspicion that our kids may be myopic yet continue to have the same habits without taking any preventive measures may be worse than putting on glasses. When myopia has increased to that state, it becomes a strain for the child to see. Asking the child not to strain his eyes is almost impossible.
It helps to look at alternative options around. I’ve come across another choice, which is under the brand of essilor, called myopilux max. It has a research backing that claims myopia retardadation of up to 62%. Can try asking at Better Vision.
One thing though. No research has found that wearing negative lenses is able to help the decrease of myopia. Whichever brand you go for, myovision or myopilux, they simply help slows down the progress of myopia. Cultivating good eye habits is still the most critical.
I am surprised that all the National Myopia Prevention centre did/ does is to give the child a prescription for making glasses. How is that different from getting the child to go straight to the optical shop?? -
concern2:
I am surprised that all the National Myopia Prevention centre did/ does is to give the child a prescription for making glasses. How is that different from getting the child to go straight to the optical shop??
For children under 7 yrs old, it is the govt rule (I presume MOH) that their eyes have to be checked by the Health Board (Child's clinic). I've tried getting my daughter's eyes checked when she was in P1 and was turned away by 2 opticians when they found out that she was under 7 at that time. -
There is no rule stating that the shops CANNOT do it. It is just harder to check young kids because you don’t know if they can give you reliable feedback during eye testing. They are also harder to handle. A thorough testing for young children will involve dilating the eyes and the normal optician shop can’t do it. However they CAN do the eye chart with lenses, and they CAN do the machine, but many shops will either not do it, or will charge a fee between $15 to $25. You just have to keep trying different shops, or take to a polyclinic or pediatric opthamologists (v expensive!!) for checks. If you have serious concerns, you can ask for a referral to the eye centers where they will screen for short-sightedness, squint, and if there are causes for concern, 3-d vision and color-blindness.
But if your child is in a kindergarten, MOH will send people to give annual checks for K1 and K2. However it will not be as comprehensive. Just standing there and reading the eye chart. -
Hi. Just to share my experience.My girl was refer to NUH for eyecheck since K2 to about Primary 2. After that, NUH said not necessary to come because the school will be doing annually check. So I just listern. To my surprise when during school check for the past 2 years, the results indicated ok, it didnot advise us to change glasses. So I also do nothing to my girl’s glasses. It was only after about end of Pri 4, my friend recommend me to go to the optician shop, and to my horror, her eyesight had increased by 200%.
Till now, I just wonder why do the school orangise the eyecheck ??? -
Hi shurley197323, just curious, has your child /teacher complained of his/her vision deterioration? Did you immediately made a new pair of glasses for your child after that? It helps to have your child undergo another check by a different optometrist - from a different optical shop.
Many factors can affect eye tests, including state of health on the day of eye test (e.g.colds/sinus), familiarity with the environment and eye tests, time of the test (some people's eye see better in the morning), weather (in daylight on a sunny day, your child's vision may be better than being examined in a dark room within a shopping mall) etc. If you were to check your own eyes everyday against an eyechart (without glasses/contacts), you will notice that your eyesight varies from day to day, and even by the minute. This is because our eyes are connected to our brain, and is part of our living body. The lenses on a pair of glasses, however, are not. It does not change and adapt to us. Yet, once our body (eyes) adapts to the long term use of glasses, we become dependent on them, and thus become so for the rest of our lives. If prescribed wrongly, our child is made to 'get used to' the higher power, which in turn establishes an upward spin in his myopia.
It doesn't hurt to know more, for the sake of our future generation... :evil: (sorry, I bit side-track, but can't help being affected by the long-awaited polling day) -
Hi.concern2. Because my girl didnot complain anything since P2 to around P3 or P4(forgot), so I did not know much as I did not wear glasses myself. I only depend on the eye check slip given by the school.( I blame myself too for not bring her every 6 mths to the optician - nobody told me so at that time
). Her degree from around 200 (P2)shot up to now 600(P5)!!!. Luckily now it had been stable for last 9 mths.
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