Maxine’s sight saved by trip to see optician
DANGEROUSLY HIGH PRESSURE LED TO IMMEDIATE TREATMENT
A TRIP to the opticians has saved a woman’s sight after dangerously high pressure readings behind both eyes were identified.
Maxine O’Neill was immediately referred to a specialist at Leicester Royal Infirmary after her visit to Specsavers in Ashby resulted in a glaucoma diagnosis.
The 51-year-old had been for her routine eye test a year previously but made another appointment after she started having problems with the vision in her left eye.
“Everything was very blurry, even worse when I put my hand over my right eye,” said Maxine, of Hemington.
“I was busy with work so it took me a while to make an appointment and, while there is history of glaucoma in my family, I wasn’t prepared for the optician to tell me I needed to go to hospital.”
Maxine’s eye test was carried out by recently-qualified optometrist Haleem Hussain, who noticed during the refraction test - which determines how well the eyes can focus that her corneas were cloudy and her pressure was extremely high, at more than twice normal values.
“Maxine also had reduced vision as well as visual field loss,” said Haleem. “As part of the examination, I used an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan, which takes a detailed photo of the eye.
“From this and all her other test results, it meant that I thought it was likely Maxine had glaucoma and needed to go to hospital for further tests so the diagnosis could be confirmed.”
Maxine was referred to the infirmary, where she saw a specialist the next day.
During her first visit she was told the damage that had been caused was severe and her sight was unlikely to improve, but when she went back two weeks later, the news was more positive, with glasses helping to improve things.
‘At hospital they said the pressure behind my eyes was dangerously high,” said Maxine.
“They gave me drops to help bring this down, which I’m still taking, and there has been an improvement. I’ve also been back to Specsavers to get some new glasses and my vision, while not perfect, has also improved.
“I’m going back to the glaucoma clinic at the hospital soon too for a check-up and will have yearly visits after that so they can monitor me.
“I’m extremely grateful to Haleem and Specsavers for their prompt action and care, which has meant my condition has been diagnosed and I’ve been able to have treatment.
“I’d also say that it’s so important to see an optician if you notice any change in your vision.”
Haleem said: “While glaucoma is a relatively common condition, Maxine’s pressure readings were unusually high so it was essential she was seen quickly at hospital to prevent losing her sight completely.
“People should be getting their
eyes checked every two years, but if you notice a problem then please contact your optician right away.
“The earlier we can diagnose something, the more likely it is that treatment will be successful.”