Terrible eyesight now, blindness later?!


Question: I'm 15 now and my eyes are terrible. I have -7.25 in the left eye and -3.25 in the right. I need a new prescription every year.

Obviously, I find this terrifying. Will my eyes continue to deteriorate until I'll be completely blind? Or should they just stop? Cuz I know that the strongest contacts they have is -12.00. If my eyes keep worsening at the same rate, I should reach that by the age of 23 (unless I miscalculated). I stopped reading laying down cuz I heard it's bad, I have great lighting in my room, and I don't watch tv or sit by the computer often. I try to take care of my eyes but gosh, I'm scared. Help?


Answers: I'm 15 now and my eyes are terrible. I have -7.25 in the left eye and -3.25 in the right. I need a new prescription every year.

Obviously, I find this terrifying. Will my eyes continue to deteriorate until I'll be completely blind? Or should they just stop? Cuz I know that the strongest contacts they have is -12.00. If my eyes keep worsening at the same rate, I should reach that by the age of 23 (unless I miscalculated). I stopped reading laying down cuz I heard it's bad, I have great lighting in my room, and I don't watch tv or sit by the computer often. I try to take care of my eyes but gosh, I'm scared. Help?

In rough order:
There's almost no association with the strength of an Rx and gong blind.
(And plenty of ways to go blind without needing any Rx: it's really not a significant route to blindness.)

Contacts are available way over -12.00
I think -24.00 is the highest I've ever ordered.
My Rx gets up to -13.50 in the worst meridian of the worst eye (It's just come down a fraction) and I've had contacts, though I eventually decided they weren't worth the bother.

You might end up around -12.00, or you could stop changing at 18... and still have an Rx well under -10.00. Lots of variations, but nothing to panic about.

If, once your Rx is stable, it is beyond what laser techniques can safely handle, or you chose not to go down that route, there are other options for correction: "Insertable contact lenses" (Anterior chamber implants) for younger people, or having the intraocular lens replaced (same as cataract surgery, but before the cataract appears) for people over 50.

I'm considering the latter for a few years time, when I've not got any useful accommodation left.

If you're going to worry, worry in proportion: for the next ten or so years, your principle risk of dying is...
...from motor vehicle accidents.
If you're not scared of being in/around or later, driving, cars,
Then there's little else you should be scared of. That's the big one.

Not really a cause for worry- yes concern- you probably would be a great candidtate once your eyes settle down- probably mid 20's for you to get lasik. Given the imbalance if refractive error, that could work to your good in the future.

Don't be scared. I have bad vision too...but once you hit a bit older, you'll notice more and more that your vision wont get worse as fast. And laser eye surgery is getting cheaper and cheaper!!

As you age, your lens grows. It becomes more powerful. If you are already too powerful, like myopes are, then it'll seem that your vision is getting worse, but it's not. Just the power of the lens inside the eye is increasing with age.

When you are about 20 or so, see someone about possibly doing a refractive lens placement inside your eye, or do the complete cataract surgery and replace your lens with one that is the 'correct' power for your axial length. Then you'll see normally at distance. But you'll need to use some sort of glasses to read or see near, unless you decide to have the non dominant eye done as a 'reading' eye. People that do it that way seem fairly happy with it all. They never have to wear glasses, except maybe sunglasses.

If you get laser surgery, within a couple of years your lens will grow a little and you'll think you are sliding backwards down the road to blindness. But it's just the lens continuing to grow. The intraocular route would seem the better way for you.





The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories