Check-up at opticians saves Shrewsbury man's vision

Richard Goody, 42, noticed his vision had started blurring and decided to visit Ellerker Optician on Mardol for some advice.

A test found that a retina had detached from one of his eyes. Optometrist Nilesh Patel diagnosed the problem during an emergency eye examination and found that Mr Goody needed emergency hospital assistance.

He was immediately referred to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital where he was admitted for surgery to repair the damage.

Mr Goody said: "When Nilesh informed me about how serious it was, I was shocked. I had no idea I would need to go to A&E, I honestly thought it would be something as simple as a hair obscuring my vision.

"When I arrived at the hospital, the consultant immediately examined my eyes and told me that I needed emergency treatment to save my vision, and I was booked in for surgery."

Mr Patel, who has been an optician for two years, said Mr Goody was lucky the problem was spotted in time.

He said: "Mr Goody is very fortunate that he sought medical advice as quickly as he did, as his condition could have very easily resulted in permanent blindness in his right eye.

"The surgery was scheduled to repair the damage and re-attach the retina to the eye, and Mr Goody is undergoing a several week rehabilitation process known as posturing, which has thankfully proven to be successful.

"Blurred vision may seem like a particularly common symptom and in more cases than not, it can be the result of something very minor. However, as Mr Goody's case demonstrates, it's extremely important to have an eye examination when you notice even the slightest change in your vision, in order to catch serious conditions as early as possible."