Routine eye test saves sight in one eye of BBC presenter | News from Mexico

I have something to confess.

Even though I’ve been a devoted contact lens wearer since I was 16 years old, I don’t always go in for glasses as regularly as I should.

I often forget to schedule my annual eye exam and then realize it’s been three years since my last appointment. But I won’t do it again.

Because what I thought was just another routine checkup turned out to be emergency surgery that saved my vision in one eye.

In June, I noticed that I started seeing occasional white flashes in my right eye, especially when looking to the side.

This doesn’t happen often, maybe once or twice a day, although it seems a bit unusual to me, I didn’t rush to check it out.

I googled the symptoms – it sounded like something that might happen with age or maybe a retinal detachment.

My 52nd birthday was coming up and I didn’t think much about it and thought it must be another joy of getting older.

lose your eyes

A few weeks later, when the flashes of light continued randomly, I realized I was missing two pairs of glasses.

Since I wear contact lenses so much, I was a little worried, so I made an appointment at a nearby optician and decided to invest in some new glasses. I thought I’d also mention those silly white glitters.

When I go to the optometrist, I still have no concerns.

Do I not understand any of the letters on the chart? It’s not a big deal.

But I noticed the optometrist kept coming back to my right eye, looking with a bright light, and looking inward with a powerful magnifying glass.

he explained to me my retina is detaching Those flashes were a sign.

He told me that it was possible for the retina to detach very quickly, and once it happened, it could not be repaired. I would lose the vision in that eye.

It was a shock.

emergency surgery

One moment I was wishing I could get a new pair of glasses, but the next I was in danger of going blind.

The optometrist called the hospital and scheduled an emergency appointment. They told me they had to have surgery the next day.

My mind was racing. It was all very difficult to process.

If it doesn’t work, what should I do? Can I still work and study? Faced with the prospect of going blind in that eye, the sight I had always taken for granted suddenly became incredibly precious.

The surgery lasts about 40 minutes I was in and out of the hospital within a few hours.

I had to lie on my side for the next week and then had to wait until my vision was normal again.

In the end it all took me about three months. For the first six weeks or so, I felt disoriented and unable to go outside.

But as my vision improved, so did my confidence to get back up and walk.

main thing It’s just that my vision is back.

All I can think about right now is how lucky I am. I was so lucky that they were able to intervene so quickly when I went in for glasses.

What is retinal detachment?

The NHS says that when the retina (a thin layer at the back of the eye) detaches, it should be treated as soon as possible.

Symptoms of retinal detachment include:

• “Floating” or flickering dots and lines in the eyes
• Dark “curtains” or shadows appear in the field of vision
• Vision changes, such as blurred vision

NHS England says surgery can usually stop vision deterioration and “most people can return to all normal activities”.

In Wales, the government has now launched a campaign to encourage people to check their eye health.

From October, optometrists in opticians will be able to treat and control a wider range of eye conditions.

The aim is to help relieve pressure on hospital eye services, reduce waiting times and increase demand for eye care.

This means patients should be able to get their eye exams faster, more conveniently and closer to home.

The main changes relate to prescription. Optometrists with additional qualifications will be able to prescribe medications such as steroids and antibiotics to treat common eye conditions such as uveitis and conjunctivitis.

The vision test was okay. Recognize more serious health conditions such as diabetes, glaucoma, and myopia.

If people get regular eye exams, hopefully it can be detected earlier and prevented.

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