How do I know if my 5-year-old son's vision is fine or if there is any trouble?

Question

Hi doctor,

My son is five years old and has been rubbing his eyes a lot. We took him to an eye doctor, who asked us to put Atropine in his eyes for three days so that he could come for refraction after three days. However, it has been three days since he went under the refraction test, but he cannot write correctly. He keeps saying that his vision is blurry. His handwriting is excellent, and he draws very nicely, but he is not doing any of it. Please tell me what is wrong. I tried to contact the doctor, but he did not answer, and I will only be able to see him on Friday.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern about your son.

You have nothing to be worried about. If you are sure that Atropine was used for cycloplegic refraction, this medication's average duration of action is approximately 10 to 15 days. You should inform in his school that he will have a problem with near work like writing and reading for that period. Unfortunately, no specific medication can safely be used to counteract the effect. He will also be intolerant to bright light, so you should give him a pair of sunglasses when outdoors. In practice, we generally use a shorter eye drop like Cyclopentolate or Homatropine, which lasts two to four days. These substantial drops are used to break the accommodation, which children usually have to get a complete picture of the refractive error if any. In his case, they might have suspected high hypermetropia of having instilled Atropine. As for rubbing the eyes, it could be related to an allergy or refractive error. Suppose it is of recent onset, more likely the former. I hope I have cleared your doubts. Please feel free to ask any more questions.