I am an ophthalmologist, but I am not YOUR ophthalmologist, and don’t want to try and diagnose over the internet. If your son has no complaints right now, and the eye is white and quiet, it is probably reasonable to wait until Monday to be checked. I agree that your best option is to start with a good eye exam, and then go from there. If you call your local ophthalmologist on Monday and tell the staff your son had sudden vision loss on Friday, it is likely they will offer you an appointment that day. Good luck, and keep us posted.
Hi, iDoctor, that’s for chiming in, very very much appreciated (as well as everyone else, thanks!!).
As of this evening, and all weekend, my boy’s eyes are white and quiet, and he has no apparent complaints. We’re going to take him to the GP/pediatrician tomorrow, and see how that goes. Depending on that (and how we feel about the GP’s approach), I’m going to see if we can get him over to an ophthalmologist that day or the next.
I’d like to clarify one thing which may have not been clear, based on a couple of the responses: my son had a “loss of vision” in the sense that he couldn’t see that well out of one eye (although I’m still leaning toward double vision, e.g. what a drunk experiences – not being able to point both eyes correctly), but he did not lose vision (i.e. go blind) in one eye in any sense. I’m clear that iDoctor meant “vision loss” as a disturbance, not blindness; it wasn’t clear that everyone in the thread got that distinction, but perhaps I’m being obtuse (not that this would be the first time).
Anyway, if I’m clarifying the already clear, my apologies. And my heartfelt thanks to everyone who chimed in with opinions, reassurance, and best wishes. If the docs find anything interesting, I’ll post back. My guess is that, as the magic eight ball puts it, things will be unclear, check back later. In any case, we’ll turn over a few more stones rather than letting this lapse, just in case and for next time (and for the next person who’s kid’s eyes go weird one evening).
so, how did things go?
It went about how you’d expect – the pediatrician tested his eyes (20/20 left, 20/25 right), checked out all the obvious things, ruled out stuff like glaucoma, meningitis.
…aaand told us to take him to an ophthalmologist, they’re really better equipped for this sort of thing. :rolleyes:. OK, you guys were right. We’re hoping to see an ophthalmologist tomorrow.
She did say, by doing some sort of pressing-the-sides-of-eyes-with-fingers test, that it seems like my boy’s right eye seemed to have more pressure than the other eye. Make of that what you will.
Other than that, her theory is optical migraine.
A friend of mine was told that there was extra pressure on one of her eyes. Told by an eye doctor, no less, and then had to wait a month until she could see the specialist to find out if she had early glaucoma and was going blind.
The specialist told her there was nothing wrong with her eye.
So good luck tomorrow, and if you don’t like what you hear, go to a specialist!
Um… I thought an ophthalmologist was a specialist. 
Does it get more special, like an iris-ologist? I eyelid-tician? A retina-ist? 
I really don’t know. Apparently there are more special specialists. I’ll ask her tomorrow and see what she says. But, yes, apparently there are even more fine gradations than mere optha - whatevers.
Maybe the first guy she saw wasn’t board certified?
One thing to remember: Vision isn’t just a product of the work of the eyes. It’s also a neurological function - so a neurologist might be a useful specialist to see as well. (Not advice offered for the OP, just a suggestion for other possible specialists that might be seen.)
The mind boggles. An eye-ologist consults with the lidtician who must seek council from the tearductdoc and the eyelashologist, and finally in strides the the eyeball-topologist (“they’re all spheres so far. More research is needed!”).
Off topic: As a pre-teen/teenager, I spent many a long hour at the neurologist’s office, as he attempted to determine the source of my migraines. He wanted to see me when I was in the throes of a migraine, so if I had a migraine, I’d report it to mom, who’d drop everything, load the gang into the car, drive 45 minutes to the doctor, praying the whole time that my migraine wouldn’t abate. Half the time it was gone by the time the doctor could see me. After months of this kind of fun, the doctor finally confirmed (a) I have a brain (and don’t think I didn’t flaunt that diagnosis in front of my siblings), and (b) it’s probably hormonal.
An opthalmology residency is performed after medical school. Usually there is one year of internship, folowed by three or four years of residency. After this, if you go straight into practice, you are considered a “general (or comprehensive) ophthalmologist.” Many docs, however, go on to subspecialize. This involves one or more years of fellowship. The most common specialties include:
Cornea and External Disease (also frequently combined with Refractive Surgery)
Glaucoma
Retina
Pediatric Ophthalmology
Oculoplastics
Ocular Pathology
Each of these subspecialties can then have their own levels of sub-subspecialists… Very complex little organ, the eye.
Anecdote:
I once got my eyes checked and a new glasses prescription. A few days I put on the glasses and one eye was blurry (not huge but not trivial either)
I was freaked out…ran screaming to the doctor. He basically said that it was not abnormal. Never had problems since, but the eye never went back to what it was before - needed a new prescription.
So…here is one case where vision changed in one eye OVERNIGHT and it was no big deal.
iDoctor – thanks for the run down on eye topics/specialists. I hope my mirth was taken as a joke, I didn’t intend to offend.
Squeegee- None taken. I have a good sense of humor. Just trying to clarify things… Hope everything turns out OK. Make sure to let us know.
Well, my son has an appointment at the ophthalmologist on Friday. My spouse pushed for a sooner appointment, but no dice. Its a pediatric ophthalmologist, and apparently a busy one (or likely the only pediatric ophthalmologist within some radius; his office is 30 miles from here IIRC). News as it happens.
Thanks for the clarification. My friend saw a glaucoma specialist, who was the one who told her she was fine.
[P.S. Thanks for making your user name iDoctor. As you can tell, I can’t spell the other word. ]
squeegee, best of luck tomorrow!
Just a tiny bit off topic, but I don’t want to start a new thread.
Is there a name for the condition in which one eye is permanently blurry but the other sees 20/20*? I have heard this referred to as “Lazy Eye,” but I was under the impression that Lazy Eye is when the non-dominant eye points in a different direction then the other.
- Yes, I have this condition. No, I am not looking for medical advice. All the eye doctors my mother took me to as a kid said there was nothing they could do about it.
The correct term is amblyopia. I use it interchangeably with the more common term “lazy eye.”
Thank you, iDoctor! The wikipedia article on amblyopia described my vision very well. I even had those eye patches as a kid (Yarrr!). I remember we abandoned them because I was always trying to see out of the corner where my good eye wasn’t quite covered.
Update, as requested:
My SO took my son to the ophthalmologist today. She (the ophthalmologist) tested him, ruled out all kinds of things. And… said he’s farsighted and needs glasses.
So, says my SO to the ophthalmologist : Why did the pediatrician declare his eyes 20/20 & 20/25? Why did SqueegeeJr suddenly, for one evening only, have to close one eye to see properly?
Well, says the ophthalmologist , SqueegeeJr compensates for his poor vision by straining his eyes, until his eyes get tired and he can’t do that any longer. That explains both the previous eye test (SqueegeeJr was compensating) and last Friday’s issue (SqueegeeJr’s eyes were tired).
OK… I guess I’ll buy that on the first go-around. I can’t say I’m soothed about the other night, where the symptoms had never happened, before or since. But what the hell, I’m not a doctor.
I guess my son is getting glasses and we’ll see if everything is fine from there… :dubious: