Member Article

York healthcare worker tells of whirlwind as ‘silent thief of sight’ is detected following vital eye test

A 67-year-old from York has told of her own whirlwind treatment, after acute glaucoma was picked up following a routine eye test at Vision Express.

Kathleen Murphy is ‘eternally grateful’ after optometrist Roy McAllister spotted the condition, dubbed the ‘silent thief of sight’, and made an urgent referral for hospital treatment.

A patient ambassador and researcher at the District Hospital, as well as being a guide at iconic local landmark, the York Minster, Kathleen underwent swift treatment at York Hospital, and is thankful to have made a full recovery and returned to her active lifestyle.

She was diagnosed with acute narrow-angle glaucoma, which is less common than the open-angle form of the condition, yet can cause more severe damage to sight. It was treated with a procedure that widened the narrowed canals to her eye, which had caused a build-up of pressure.

Kathleen, from the Heworth area of the city, continues to have the pressure in her eyes monitored at annual eye tests, under the expert care of Vision Express York’s resident optometrist.

She explains: “From diagnosis to completed treatment was just three weeks, which is fantastic, and I’m so pleased that my sight is now back to how it was before, with no permanent damage. I know things could have been very different. I have a friend who collapsed due to acute glaucoma that had progressed undetected because she didn’t have a regular eye test.

“A friend’s son had a brain tumour diagnosed at aged 21 and the way it was picked up was through an eye test, so they are an essential health check for people of all ages. I’ve always had regular eye tests, I believe they’re crucial, and my experience shows that they can identify an underlying condition that might otherwise have gone unnoticed, and in my case, would have caused permanent damage to my sight.”

Vision Express optometrist, Roy McAllister explained: “As part of the eye examination we check the depth of the chamber at the front of the eye using a special microscope. Over time the depth naturally decreases and the angle at the edge of the chamber can becomes narrower. In a small percentage of people this can put them at risk of narrow angle glaucoma.

“For Kathleen the angle had become sufficiently narrow for her to be at significant risk of developing acute glaucoma. A referral to the hospital specialist was made and treatment was successfully carried out to prevent Kathleen developing the condition. Regular eye examinations are vital and can help detect a variety of eye problems sometimes even before any effect on vision has been noticed.”

Experts from the National Eye Health Research Centre (NERC) have predicted that the diagnosed number of glaucoma cases in the UK is likely to top 1.28m by 2050 – a huge 85% increase - which would strain an already-struggling NHS.

In the research, commissioned by Vision Express to mark its 30 years of trading, worryingly, it is estimated that glaucoma may affect 3.2million in the UK in 2050, but unless detection rates are improved, only 1.28million will have been diagnosed and, like Kathleen, be receiving the treatments they urgently need.

Glaucoma is one of the biggest causes of preventable sight loss and already accounts for over one million outpatient NHS visits each year. However, the condition is symptomless in its early stages, and a regular eye test is the only way to detect it. Over 90% of individuals who are diagnosed early will retain useful sight for life.

Kathleen, who has had annual check-ups with Vision Express for more than 10 years, added: “I’m so very grateful to my optometrist Roy, who handled the issue very sensitively, giving me the news of my diagnosis but being reassuring and helping me get the treatment I needed without delay.”

Vision Express offers an eye test to best practice guidelines of the College of Optometrists (COO), with each Vision Express optometrist being a qualified eye health professional. To book an eye test at the York store store, call 01904 541104, visit 8-10 Parliament St, York YO1 8SE or make an online enquiry on the website.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Vision Express .