Carnoustie woman’s sight saved after trip to Arbroath opticians

A Carnoustie woman’s sight has been saved by laser surgery following a retinal tear.

Mary Heywood visited Specsavers in Arbroath as soon as she began to experience flashes and floaters in her vision.

An eye examination revealed Mary had a condition called posterior vitreous detachment in one eye.

Common in those aged 65 and over, the condition causes the clear gel-like substance inside the eye to become more watery and shrinks away from the retina at the back of the eye.

Mary was advised to contact the shop immediately if her symptoms worsened so staff could take appropriate steps.

A few days later her symptoms worsened, so principal optometrist Clair Donaldson saw her that same day and discovered a retinal tear had developed.

She said: ‘Mrs Heywood thankfully followed our advice and did the right thing by arranging another examination after her symptoms worsened.

“If she didn’t have it checked out there is a high chance she would have developed a retinal detachment and suffered with permanent vision loss.”

Mary said she was immediately referred to the Hospital Eye Service at Ninewells where she had laser treatment.

She said: “Shortly afterwards, I developed the same symptoms in my other eye and returned to the hospital for further laser treatment.

“Both were successful.” Mary has shared her experience because she wants to warn others not to be complacent if they have any worries about their vision.

She said: ‘I’d like to urge others to be very vigilant when it comes to their sight.

“It is so important to book an appointment if you experience anything out of the ordinary.

“Clair’s swift referral to the hospital helped to treat the tear before it became much more serious so I can’t thank her enough.”

A posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is a condition of the eye in which the vitreous membrane separates from the retina.

Some research has found it is more common among women.

Clair Donaldson, left, and Mary Heywood.