My sight was put under strain by rare condition

4:00am Friday 26th September 2008

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Echo reporter AUDREY SNEE knows all too well the importance of eye examinations. Here she shares her experience of discovering a serious eye problem following an optician’s appointment.

WHEN I started getting head-aches and blurry vision, my GP suggested I get a screenguard at work and thought I might even have depression.

However, when things got worse, I went to an optician who diagnosed a thyroid problem.

Subsequent blood tests ordered by my doctor showed no trace of the disease and I was referred to an eye specialist who diagnosed a thyroid eye disease.

In nine out of ten cases it is linked with thyroid conditions, but I fall into the rare category where only my eyes are affected. They became swollen due to an auto-immune reaction.

In addition, the double vision became progressively worse. When my eye consultant suggested leaving it alone and wearing an eye patch, I knew I had to find an alternative diagnosis.

I sought a second opinion at Moorfields Eye Hospital, in London, where I was put on a very high dose of steroids, which I received through an intravenous drip on a weekly basis for several months.

The next stage of the treatment was again a hard, sharp course of radiotherapy at Bart’s Hospital London, administered daily for 12 days to both eyes.

The results were nominal at first, but I was assured in time, I would see considerable improvements.

They were right. My double vision has subsided to the periphery of my eyes and the swelling has gone down considerably.

So it was with trepidation I went for a specialist eye examination with opotometrist, Darren Madoo, who is the owner of Observatory – the Opticians, in Rectory Grove, Leigh.

At first he said everything in my eye looked healthy, but then he spotted two areas of haemorrhage, which is usually a sign of diabetes. However, in my case it could be a result of the radiotherapy.

I have made a repeat booking to check to see if it worsens and will from now be taking my opticians’ recommendation of an eye check-up every two years.

Opticians are not just for testing your eyes

MOST of us only go to the opticians when we notice a change in our eyesight. Few people realise, however, regular eye examinations can be essential for spotting undiagnised conditions, such as diabetes, tumours and high blood pressure.

Optometrist Darren Madoo has identified many conditions just by looking into patients’ eyes during consultations, including glaucoma, an eye disorder that can lead to blindness.

He believes more people should take regular eye examinations which could identify conditions early and ensure appropriate treatment is given to stop deterioration.

Mr Madoo said: “Glaucoma is treatable, but yet it is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in this country.

“If caught early it can be treated simply with eye drops.

“It used to be called an eye test which indicated the optician was looking purely at vision, but now I call it an eye examination because we can see much more.”

Mr Madoo has invested in new equipment which provides an image of the majority of the retina rather than the fraction visible in a conventional examination.

The Optomap Retinal Exam was invented by Scottish businessman Douglas Anderson after his son went blind in one eye at the age of five due to a detached retina.

Detached retinas are common in people who participate in contact sports like football and rugby and can lead to blindness.

The laser machine can check the health of the retina not normally detected under a normal check-up.

It can also detect diseases of the heart, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

Mr Madoo said: “The smallest capillaries in the body are in the eyes.

“If they are jagged it is a sign of high blood pressure.

“Using this technology, we can also see at the points in the capillaries where pressure builds up.”

Observatory is just one of a handful of opticians to offer the premium service, which costs £25 per visit with payment plans to spread the cost available.

Moorfields Eye Hospital is the only NHS hospital in the country to use the equipment.