Optometry NI says 'half of all cases of sight loss avoidable'

Half of all cases of sight loss are avoidable according to the local association of optometrists, Optometry NI, which has urged the public not to ignore routine eye tests.

A Londonderry man said he is lucky to be alive after his optician diagnosed a blood clot during an examination.

Jason Scoltock, 46, said it was while bringing his daughter for an eye check-up that something sinister was uncovered behind his own eyes.

An MRI scan revealed the clot.

"I told the optician I hadn't been feeling well, headache, nauseous, and my eye was sore," he said.

"So after seeing my daughter, he put drops in my eyes, had a look and said he saw something sinister and that I needed to go to A&E at Altnagelvin [Hospital].

"I went over, they had a look and I had an MRI and it turned out I had a large blood clot at the back of my head."

The optician involved was Paul Curtis whose family has been providing an optometry service in Derry for over 80 years.

"An eye examination is so important once every two years for most people, or more regularly if there are young people in the family or those with a medical condition," he said.

"You only have one set of eyes and sight is the one sense that people fear losing the most. Early detection is vital for having it treated."

It is thought that around 45,000 people in Northern Ireland suffer from sight loss, with that figure expected to rise by around 10,000 by 2020.

According to Optometry NI, a trip to the opticians might prevent thousands of people from permanently damaging their sight.

It is not just older people who benefit.

Nine-year-old Sé McKeown from County Armagh was diagnosed as being extremely long-sighted while he was in Primary One.

He told me from his home in Silverbridge, near Crossmaglen, that life before wearing glasses was extremely difficult.

"In school I was putting the toys in the wrong boxes," he said.

"I couldn't see the white board and my reading and writing wasn't great either.

"When playing hide and seek, I couldn't see who I was chasing."

Transformation

His mother, Lisa, said she feels guilty about not bringing him sooner to get his eyes tested.

"Back then, I was thinking that the school nurse would check things out - but that year she was running behind and she never got to see him," she said.

"Eventually we took him to the local opticians and he needed glasses. His sight was so poor, I felt extremely guilty."

According to the McKeown family, the transformation was incredible.

For many people visiting an optician is free including for those under 16, in full-time education, the over 60s and those with diabetes.