Campaigns

Sue's story - Open Your Eyes campaign

Summary: Sue's early glaucoma diagnosis saved her sight.

• Accident
• Eye tests
• Open Your Eyes

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Accident

I discovered I had the potential to develop acute (narrow angle) glaucoma quite by accident in my early thirties when I decided to try contact lenses. I had worn glasses from the age of three and had a squint operation at eight. My first day of wearing them turned to minor disaster when my cat spotted them in my eye and tried to swipe one out, destroying my new expensive lens and scratching my eye in the process.

I ended up in the casualty department where a gloomy young consultant patched me up, sucked his teeth and said I had ‘extremely narrow angles’ and to make sure that I was checked for glaucoma every year from 40 onwards.

Eye tests

I followed his advice and at the age of 50 was referred by the optician to a consultant. He could see no immediate problem but gave me an appointment for several months later to monitor developments. This time he tried to raise the pressure in my eyes artificially and it just shot up alarmingly. He operated with lasers almost immediately, making drainage holes in the cornea of each eye and I still have good sight with no damage. The pressure in my eyes is stabilised and back within normal limits.

It is difficult to pinpoint symptoms of glaucoma which is why it is so important to have regular eye checks. Thinking back I was waking up with some pain at the back of my eyes but attributed it to the natural process of ageing, tiredness, stress or whatever, without ever considering it could be glaucoma-related.

Now I am still routinely monitored for chronic open angle glaucoma as I am also apparently at risk of developing that. Glaucoma affects the peripheral vision.

I also have a strong family history of macula degeneration. My father is now registered blind and my mother is also starting to show signs of the condition. I am at risk of developing that too which would affect my central field of vision. The two together would be a disaster for me.

I owe my cat a real debt of gratitude, although it didn’t feel like it at the time!

Open Your Eyes

Thousands of people in the UK are needlessly losing their sight every year through treatable conditions like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Thousands more are living with sight loss because they are simply wearing the wrong glasses or not seeking treatment for cataracts. A regular eye test checks your eye health as well as your sight. Don't put it off, book one today!

Our Open Your Eyes campaign aims to bring an end to preventable sight loss in the UK by 2020.

Content author: campaigns@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 06/03/2008 15:41