Glaucoma diagnosis confirmed thanks to routine eye test

During his regular eye test at Specsavers in Bridgnorth, optician and store director, Teresa Hughes, noticed an issue with Andy Johnson’s field of vision in his right eye. The 80-year-old was referred to Shrewsbury Hospital where further tests confirmed that he had glaucoma.

"I’m the fourth generation in my family to be diagnosed with glaucoma," comments Andy. "At the hospital, I was given timolol drops which are helping to reduce the pressure in my right eye by limiting the build-up of fluid. They seem to be doing the job so far and I’ve had no deterioration in my vision which is brilliant.

"The vision in my left eye is also fine, although I do have the early signs of a cataract, but I’m going to wait a little while to have that removed. I’m now having two yearly checks to make sure the glaucoma is still being managed okay. I’m really grateful that my routine test picked it up in the early stages so that I stood the best chance of it being treated successfully."

"Glaucoma is an eye condition where high intraocular pressure damages the optic nerve, potentially leading to irreversible vision loss and in some cases, blindness," says Teresa. "It often lacks early symptoms, as was the case with Mr Johnson, developing slowly over time. Being able to detect it as part of a routine eye test meant that he could be treated with drops and it’s great to hear this has been a success. If glaucoma is more advanced, laser therapy, or surgery can be used to help preserve existing vision."