My teenage daughter has been nearsighted for a while but has adamantly refused to wear her spectacles. We went back for a checkup a few days ago and her vision has gotten drastically worse. The doctor says it's not horrible but he also said that even low amounts of myopia can be pretty incapacitating. She was a -1.25 and -1.00. Now she's a -2.75 and a -2.25. The doctor says that she really must use her spectacles now. He claims that the decline in her vision was not caused by her refusal to wear her spectacles but I'm still concerned because she hasn't been keeping up with her schoolwork due to her poor vision. Contact lenses are not an option for her because she's very, very squeamish (it's almost pathological).
Unfortunately, she's a very sickly child. She's rather large and she has terrible acne. She also has a number of dental appliances to correct her malocclusions. I'm certain that these issues are contributing to her low self-esteem and consequently to her refusal to use the prescribed spectacles.
Is -2.75 a significant prescription? She seems to think that she can get by without the glasses but the doctor was quite adamant that she wear them most of the time (although he did say that the prescription is categorized as a "weak" one). Not sure what to make of his conflicting opinions.
Added (1). Will the thickness of the lenses be detrimental to her appearance? My husband and I are both lawyers and we'd be happy to pay for the more expensive lenses if they're deemed necessary. The technician said they weren't really required at her current prescription (-1.25) but we're not sure if they're necessary for her new one (-2.75).
Read more: Daughter has been issued an ultimatum by the ophthalmologist?