Should We Get a 2Nd Opinion?

always always get a second opinion. I do have one thing to say is don't go to a doctor the first doctor suggests because they give the same opinion. I would go to a doctor that is completely different and don't tell him about the first doctor. This way you get an opinion that is true and not based on another doctors opinion. Doctors have a tendency to agree with one another.

Just a lot of experience in this area.

N.
wife, mom, grandma and wellness coach

If you saw a Pediatric Ophthalmologist... I would try it.

If you saw an Optometrist, even a Pediatric Optometrist,I would DEFINITELY get a second opinion... from a Pediatric Ophthalmologist.

You could get a second opinion, but for a wandering eye (or eyes not coordinated) glasses are a very common way of correcting it. Our daughter had this problem at 4m old and from 4-9m she had glasses and it completely solved the problem. If it is allowed to go too long then surgery will be required to fix it. It was thought that my daughter would need glasses for near sightedness for the rest of her life but the early detection also solved that problem and at 20m she has (as far as they can tell) good sight.

I am a Certified Ophthalmic Technician and have been involved in the eye care field for over 8 years.

First of all, it is great that you noticed this problem with you son and had it evaluated! It is very common for young children to have an eye turn in and glasses often help. However, it is very important for him to wear the glasses ALL THE TIME. (I have an 18-mo-old daughter who won't leave bows in her hair, so I completely understand that it may be a struggle. With an active toddler, the glasses may need to be adjusted often, possibly weekly, so they fit well.) Because you son's eyes need glasses, but haven't had them yet, his eyes are used to working hard to try to see (unsuccessfully). When he first wears the glasses, IT WILL BE BLURRY FOR HIM even with the correct prescription. Of course he won't want to wear them. But once his eyes relax (this could take several weeks) and let the glasses work for him, they should help. If he only wears the glasses intermittently, it will take his eyes longer to relax, or they may not at all. Many children eventually grow out of it, but not all.

It is critical for his eyes to be able to see clearly now because his brain is trying to process what he sees, and is, in a sense, "learn" to see. Unfortunately, there is a time limit to this learning. After around 9 years old, the brain can no longer "learn" to see. Glasses won't help with this. If the brain only sees blurry images from his left eye, it may decide not to use it and rely solely on his right eye.

I hope this made sense and I haven't scared you. It's just that I've seen so many children whose parents haven't follow the doctor's instructions and then it's too late. So bottom line, you are doing the right thing -- stay with it!

PS All that said, I am not a doctor. A second opinion is often worth the peace of mind.

If a second opinion would make you feel more comfortable, then get a second opinion. I probably wouldn't get a second opinion because the doctor's diagnosis fits his the way he's acting. I'd try the glasses for several weeks. If that doesn't help I'd go back to the same doctor. Often finding the cause is a matter of trial and error.

I think it might be hard to have to put a baby into glasses. We just don't think of babies needing glasses. However, I've seen several toddlers in glasses. I'm almost certain that having an eye turn in or out requires glasses as the first thing to try to correct it. It seems logical if he also is farsighted.

I've seen medical advice to cover the good eye so the child has to use the weak eye. I don't know the diagnosis that caused the different treatments. It sounds like the doctor's explanation is that he also needs visual correction. Did you ask him about why he thinks the eye turns inward and if there are other possible treatments?

If you are not comfortable with this doctor then a second opinion is might be in order; not so much to confirm or deny the diagnosis and treatment as to find a different doctor because you are uncomfortable with this one.
I consider the reasons for my discomfort. Sometimes I realize it's personality that causes discomfort. Sometimes I realize, after returning to the same doctor, that I either understand him better the second time or that the first time was most likely an off day. I believe in second opportunities before I judge someone. So far in my life I haven't needed to change doctors. One time I was upset enough about the way the doctor's assistant had treated me that I wrote him a letter. He called me and I felt much better.

I have a 9 year old that is far sighted and has a lazy eye. There is a name for this, it is long, I can't remember it. It is correctable and the sooner they start correcting it, the better. I was told when my son was young "he would grow out of it", I learned different when he got glasses a couple years ago. He is now wearing a patch that fits over his glasses for an hour a day. With 3 to 6 month check ups. If you haven't gotten the glasses yet try to get 2 pair and the protection plan for breakage of the frames. It is worth it. I can recommend my son's eye doctor for you. He goes to child eye care associates. Phone# ###-###-####. I would definitely have his slow eye looked at and treated asap.

I would make sure he is seen by a pediatric ophthalmologist. It sounds kinda like a lazy eye. You can't be too safe at this point because the longer it takes to diagnose a problem, the less chance it can be fixed.

Its never a bad idea to get a second opinion. For the record, I was farsighted when I was a kid. I had glasses a little later than your son, when I was 4 to about 8, but I haven't needed glasses since and I'm now 30! He might grow out of it, like I did.

I am always one to get a second opinion if I do not feel comfortable. In my experience the Dr is usually right on but I sometimes need to be reassured.

M.,

I know it was probably hard to hear but if the eye doctor says your son needs glasses he probably does. It is not uncommon or unheard of (especially these days) for young toddlers to need glasses. I started wearing glasses for farsightedness when I was 18 months old and my now 8-yr old got her first pair at 13 months. Technology is good enough that the doctors can get his prescription pretty spot on with just some eye measurements. Not putting him in glasses could cause some big problems down the road. When his eyes turn in they seeing across eachother and his brain (or anyone's for that matter) can't process the picture so it will shut one of the eyes off. If left untreated it can become a permanent situation as the brain ends up not knowing HOW to use both eyes together. Mine was not fully corrected early enough and now I only see out of my right eye 10% of the time leaving me with practically no depth perception. My daughter, on the other hand, had hers caught and corrected early and is fine. If you really think the doctor is wrong then get a second opinion (there's a great doctor in Spokane named Dr. Snow who has been specializing in this for some 30 years) but don't wait.

Remember, regardless of how it turns out, your son will be fine and glasses are not the end of the world!

Good luck,
N.

I agree, it sounds like lazy eye. A pediatric eye doc is definitely a good idea, and please go get a second opinion! A friend of mines daughter had the same problem when she was very young and had to be monitored to make sure it was coreecting, and had surgery.

I have 8 year old twin boys who both had esotropia (I believe I'm using the right term). They were both slightly far-sighted so the doctor wanted to try glasses to see if that would correct their eyes. Apparently, that does help with some cases. However; my boys would not keep the glasses on at all. They were 2 1/2 at the time. The glasses did not make enough of a difference with their vision to encourage them to keep them on. We ended up having to have surgery on their eyes to correct the turning in. The doctor followed them closely until we had three visits where the eye had not turned in further and then one boy had surgery at 3 1/2 years and the other at 4 years of age. So far all seems to be going well.

As far as getting a second opinion, I firmly believe in following your gut. If what the first doctor has said just doesn't sit right or you have a nagging feeling that there is something else, by all means get the second opinion.

Just for the record or extra information, I guess: my pediatrician noticed the eye issue and recommended we see a pediatric opthamologist. Her name is Janet Barrall and she is at the Virginia Mason in Issaquah (and let me tell you that is a long haul from where I live, but I feel she was worth the drive).

Good luck,
DJ

You say your doctor, do you mean an optometrist or opthamologist? or are you talking about your pediatrician? The dr. who prescribes glasses normally is one of the former. If it's your pediatrician, yes, go see your optometrist or opthamologist, it it was one of the others, no. Your son could also have weak eye muscles that cause his eye to focus on his nose. So you could have two problems going on. Listen to your doc and go forward. 20 mo old toddlers have been known to wear glasses and the earlier a problem is recognized and corrected, the better for your child. Imagine not being able to read a book or put a puzzle together or see the food on your plate.

I wish you well!!!

Yes, get a second opinion. Preferably with a pediatric eye Dr. He should most likely need to wear patches on his good eye, so that his brain doesn't start turning off the vision. My daughter was 2 1/2 when she started wearing patches and glasses. She is 12 now and wears contacts, but both of her eyes work equally and the older she gets the more she is able to keep them straight even with out contacts. Also, she started contacts at age 9, the Dr. said kids can start anytime they are ready. We take her to Casey eye institute at OHSU. It's the best place in Oregon and has been well worth it. Hope this helps.

i would definitely get a second opinion from a specialist. if you are in the vancouver or portland area, go see dr bruce or his associates in hazel dell. they are great: http://www.doctorbruce.net/index.html

it's possible that it could correct itself but if you wait until he's older, you won't get nearly as much improvement.

because my husband had lazy eye as a child, we watched our daughters closely as it can be a hereditary condition. we went in every 6 months. until she was 4, the eye dr said that my older daughter could be far-sighted and to wait and see but it was obvious (to him) by 4 that she definitely had a lazy eye. after further testing, it turned out that she was hardly using her lazy eye at all. she had a different type of lazy eye that didn't turn so she appeared to be using both eyes.

anyway, we had to do some eye therapy and patching to get her brain to use that eye but she's gone from 20/200 to seeing 20/40, even 20/20 sometimes.

Thank goodness he got glasses so early.

You can always get another opinion, no problem. But here is my opinion as a mom of a toddler who needed glasses (found by a a preschool teacher). My son wore the glasses for about 4 years until his eyes matured and he didn't need them!!! Go for it.