Childs spectacles

[nam-thip]

Can anyone give me an indication of the cost of a decent pair of spectacles for a 7 year old female child that has just been diagnosed with short sightedness.

If it helps any the child lives in Phetchabun were there should be a choice of optitions.

[harrry]

2000 to 5000 baht......frames are most of the cost...pays to get ones that are slower in breaking and have better hinges and these are generally not the cheapest.

You allso want them to be worn so it pays to let the child have a choice.

[lopburi3]

If she can obtain an exam the mail order glasses from Zenni (made and shipped from China - and I am sure other such mail order firms) normally takes less than a week and prices are much more reasonable than buying locally.

[jrtmedic]

Ensure the child's eyes are examined by a competent ophthalmologist or optometrist who should issue an lens prescription if corrective lenses are required.

Many "eyeglass" outlets in Thailand use "autorefractors", operated by unqualified shop assistants, to determine an individuals need for corrective lenses.

I would argue that such use of "autorefractors" is inappropriate particularly in relation to a child's eyesight.

Edited July 2, 2013 by jrtmedic

[lopburi3]

And that is the quagmire of eye care in Thailand. The ophthalmologist is likely to feel testing/comparison is below there pay grade so will have a nurse do autorefractor testing. There has only been optometrist schooling here for the last decade so very few are available so it can be a real problem and target is only about 10% of western countries from what I have read.

[jrtmedic]

Thankfully not in my own personal experience.

About 18 months ago I had a comprehensive eye examination/refraction undertaken by an Ophthalmic Surgeon at a cost of about 1500bht

[lopburi3]

It might help some to mention who/where - although at that price for a doctor visit perhaps he did have a reason to take his time.

I have had less than stellar checks from at least 6 such doctors over the years here (although for medical checks they have been good). The only check that I would consider equal to a normal US eye check was many decades ago when Ploenchit Arcade in Bangkok was a single story shopping area (it may have been called Washington Optical).

[harrry]

There is one place I go in kadsuankau in Chiangmai where the lady actually knows what she is talking about. She worked with an eye doctor for some months learning how to dispense and does so with great competance. I have a couple of rather complex eye problems and she detected them imediately and made the right recomendations. Although they may use an infrared macine to take initial measurements she puts them straight into a genuine testing frame and goes from there.

I have not had better eye exams anywhere.

Of course the people who work ass eye candy at the chain stores do not have the same competance.

[jrtmedic]

lopburi3

A full eye examination includes (or should)

Taking a medical /family history

Inspection of the eye lids and muscle function associated with the eye

Inspection of the pupil noting symmetry and function.

Tonometry ---To check the internal pressure of the eye

Opthalmoscopy --- a check of the retina - which can reveal problems associated with blood pressure, diabetes , on rare occasions intra-cranial (brain) problems and other serious eye related problems such as macula -degeneration.

An examination of the range of visual field

Examination of visual acuity (refraction)

Retinoscopy - Used to determine visual acuity in young children.

The above is just an indication of what should be included in a routine "eye test" there are other tests/examinations which may be undertaken at the discretion of the ophthalmic professional.

A complete "eye" test is unlikely to be concluded in less than 20-30 minutes .

Edited July 2, 2013 by jrtmedic

[nam-thip]

Thanks for the info guys, from what you tell me I wonder how I can best get the message across to the child's mother.

I think it might be best to deal with it in two stages, stage one will be to have the eyes tested by the best that's available in Petchabun.

The second stage will be to choose a decent set of frames.

Even though I needed a ball park figure or a rough indication on cost its not an issue as what price do you put on a young child's eyes?

I'll leave it until Friday then make a decision.

Meanwhile keep the information and suggestions coming

It might be better to aim this question at the expats that live within the Petchabun area as they might know who or who not to avoid.

Edited July 2, 2013 by nam-thip

[jrtmedic]

Maybe you can wait until Sheryl, who seems to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Thai health related facilities, arrives ------she will I am sure direct you to the best available

[Sheryl]

Well the best available is certainly the eye clinic at Khon Kaen U hospital, but that is a bit of a trip for you. It would be worth doing that initially though just to be sure that any serious issues are ruled out. Odds are that it is indeed just myopia but best to get a thorough baseline ophthalmic exam just to be sure.

[nam-thip]

Well the best available is certainly the eye clinic at Khon Kaen U hospital, but that is a bit of a trip for you. It would be worth doing that initially though just to be sure that any serious issues are ruled out. Odds are that it is indeed just myopia but best to get a thorough baseline ophthalmic exam just to be sure.

Thanks for the suggestion and advice Sheryl but i'm having to deal with this whilst i'm back in the UK which means it has to be dealt with in the child's home city of Phetchabun.