This week, 22nd to 28th September, marks National Eye Health Week.
With visual disturbances a common indicator of many health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, we’re backing the campaign by encouraging our supporters to stay attuned to their eye health – and alert to any changes – by ensuring they have regular sight tests.
While in most cases vision problems turn out to be nothing serious, there are occasions when eye problems are the precursor to something much more sinister.
Frequently, we hear from brain tumour patients for whom a trip to the opticians has proved crucial, and the swift action of an optometrist potentially life-saving.
After dismissing headaches as a symptom of stress, supporter Sean Lowe, 32, was shocked to discover he had a brain tumour following a routine eye test that detected abnormal pressure behind an optic nerve. He was sent for an MRI scan as a result, which identified a pilocytic astrocytoma, removed via surgery just two weeks later.
“I am incredibly lucky I went for an eye test – and fortunate the optician noticed something that could have been easily missed by a GP,” said Sean.
It’s a story that mirrors James Mayes’. The 50-year-old was diagnosed with an astrocytoma following an eye test, which he booked after experiencing visual disturbances. Days later, James underwent surgery to remove the 9cm tumour.
For seven-year-old Mason Aaron Mackenzie, a routine eye test alerted the optician to abnormalities that led to him being diagnosed with choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC), a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Had the tumour not been detected, within weeks it could have caused irreversible damage and left Mason unable to see.
“The tumour was incredibly close to his vision centre, just one millimetre away,” said his mum, Carly (pictured above with Mason): “If we had found it any later, Mason could have lost his eyesight.
“The biggest message I want to get across is to trust your instinct. If you feel like something is wrong, get it checked. For us, something as basic as a routine visit to the optician ultimately led to the discovery of Mason’s life-changing brain tumour.”
If you haven’t visited the opticians in a while, or have noticed any visual disturbances, make an appointment today.
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