What are these worrying symptoms that my mum has? Eye related. Please help

[Quarantini]

Hello,

I have this running in General Health, but am posting here for traffic and in case it rings true with anyone.

My mum has had quite poor eyesight for the past couple of years. Often switching between glasses and over the past couple of months has definitely got worse.

For example, we were sat next to a massive wall clock and were only about 10 feet away and she couldn't see what the time was. It really was huge, so we were all a bit concerned.

Then she was rushed to hospital a few weeks later with incredibly high blood pressure - Systolic reading 230! The GP suspected a pulmonary embolism, but she was given the all clear for that and was sent home with blood pressure tablets, which worked very well. It brought it down to just over the normal to 140, so after a fortnight, she stopped taking themI didn't agree with this, but didn't want to push it. Her blood pressure has been creeping back up, but occasionally does come back down again. I think it's hovering around the 160 mark now.

One morning she woke up and felt absolutely awful. She describes it as feeling drunk all the time, with 'shaky camera' vision, but only when moving. She was wrongly diagnosed with labyrinthitis initially. The doctor just wasn't listening to her symptoms, but she took anti dizziness tablets for a few weeks anyway, with absolutely zero effect.

All over the phone GP appointments she's had have been cancelled. I pushed for a GP to call her and she spoke to a new doctor who said that her symptoms need to be investigated asap, but again, her appointment for today has been cancelled!

She spoke to an optician today over the phone and he said that it doesn't actually sound like a problem with her eyes, because the shaky vision only happens when she moves. He believes it's neurological.

She also mentioned to me today that one of her eyes, at the side, feels like her vision is being squashed.

This is an emergency isn't it?! She needs to be seen now imo, but nobody seems to be bothering.

I understand how stretched the NHS is right now, but I'm so scared for her and I can't even be with her for support.

What do we do?

Sorry to sound so desperate, but we are. This has been going on for a month, with no improvement.

Thank you

I am absolutely NOT an expert, but the mention of the squashed feeling makes me think of my dad, who was diagnosed with glaucoma in one eye last year. I would say she needs to have the pressure in her eyes checked - it sounds like you may have to persist with the GP (I don't know whether any opticians are offering emergency appointments). Glaucoma can be controlled with drops, if it is that, but it's a condition where damage already done can't be undone so the aim is to manage it to prevent further damage.

There is usually an eye a&e at hospitals. Can you look on your local hospital website to see and if so take her there.

Is she complaining of headaches?

Take her to A&E - They will see her

Ok you need to get her assessed by optometrist ASAP. You can lose vision very quickly due to high blood pressure /blocked artery.
This is an emergency. Unfortunately due to restrictions a lot of high street opticians have shut (bit like dentists) and it will prove very difficult for you to find one to examine your mum.
I imagine they will triage and refer on to ophthalmologist. You need to explain her rapid loss in vision and all her symptoms.
This is sadly the worst time to get help with any eye or dental problems.
I really hope she can get assessed to see if any treatment is possible.

Has she at least started taking the blood pressure tablets that were originally prescribed to avoid these potential complications?

@Pelleas and @TeaSoakedDisasterMagnet I think she did actually have an eye test not that long ago, which is probably why the optician over the phone didn't believe anything had been missed and it was more likely something else. That along with the fact her vision was only shaky when moving.

@APurpleSquirrel, yes, but that was initially linked to her high blood pressure.

I was diagnosed with glaucoma by the GP referring me to a community opticians via an emergency referral scheme. They did a thorough check (including pressure) so it is worth persuing with then if they can do similar.

Is she London? Moorfields have many satellite clinics (including eye a&e at several hospitals)

The wavy vision could be macular degeneration. My mum suffers with this. You get dry or wet. When its wet it's actually bleeding into the back of the eye which is an emergency. One of the symptoms is wavy vision. If its wet they do a series of injections into the eye to stop it bleeding.

It is a degenerative disease and eventually you lose central vision.

Your mum needs to be seen as a matter of urgency.

@LefttoherownDevizes and @Eeyoresstickhouse, wouldn't these conditions have been picked up in her eye test? Can these things be missed?

I don't know BUT I know it can come on suddenly, I have been told in my case that currently we're watchfully waiting but it could change at any moment and to race to A&E as soon as it does.

I meant more though the point about GPs being able to arrange an emergency opthalmic check. I would think they would want to rule this out before going down the neurological route

Blood pressure can make eye conditions worse. Is there family history of glaucoma? Cataracts?

I'd advise A&E.

I can only speak from the experience I had with my mum. She had glasses/eye issues for many years. Then she started developing headaches/migraines.
These carried on with greater frequency, then she was getting vision & balance problems. Various things were looked into. Then she started getting confused & having memory problems (she was early 60s). Then one day she couldn't remember what I had asked her a few minutes before so we took her to A&E. initially they thought it was stroke, but after an MRI they found a mass in her brain.
She had a brain tumour pressing on her optic nerve, hence the vision/balance issues.

Obviously I'm not saying that's what your mum has, but you need to check it out. Mums GP was shocked & felt awful they'd never considered a brain tumour. Especially as it could have been found much earlier.

@LefttoherownDevizes, I see. As it stands, she says she can't go in a car as the feeling it gives her is unbearable and I suppose if she goes via ambulance, they'll take her to A&E, which is really not where she wants to be with a lung condition and pushing 70.

@Rainbowshine, my gran had cataracts.

@APurpleSquirrel, I'm really sorry. Can I ask what the outcome was?

OP the GP may be able to arrange assessment bypassing A&E, I really think it's worth trying to go via them if necessary. In our area they are seeing people in community clinics where possible

Thanks @LefttoherownDevizes.

I just spoke with my mum and she told me not to worry, as she will call someone if/when the time is right.....but the time is right! This is the problem.

It's not about watching for things to become an emergency, this IS an emergency, but she just keeps saying to wait and see what happens.

I don't know what else I can do. I called her GP surgery to make sure that they would definitely call her tomorrow and not cancel again, but what if they just say the same if abd whenthey do call? I.e, doesn't sound good... Need to see you asap, but not sure when. And round and round we go.

Feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall and with everything else going on, I'm seriously teetering on the edge.

I wish my dad would step in, but he is completely lead by my mum, which is another big obstacle.

I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago today with a corneal ulcer. Optician found it at a regular appointment and would have sent me to eye A&E immediately but the local ones were already closed. Our local eye A&E is in a separate u it and was not too busy 2 weeks ago in the morning, and noticeably less so last week when I had to go for a follow up.

Please encourage her to go

Separate unit

Round here the non-covid side of A&E is still relatively sane. I would seriously consider taking her to A&E tomorrow morning.

@AuditAngel, apparently my mum had an eye test in November and whereas they picked up her eyes were weaker, it didn't pick up anything sinister. Hope all is ok with you now.

My mum was diagnosed in autumn 2008, but despite several operations (first was initially successful) the cancer returned & she died in 2012. But that was partly due to the type (glioblastoma) which is nearly impossible to eradicate completely.

I hope you can persuade her to go & see someone.

@APurpleSquirrel, I'm truly so sorry

“quarantine” the checkup showed it was healing well. No more contact lenses for work, I haven’t put them back in yet, would like a check first,

Please take her to A&E, OP. My lovely Mum had ophthalmic symptoms that were similar and which were misdiagnosed as optical migraines. She also turned out to have a tumour. Please, make them check her properly, don’t be fobbed off with guesswork - just in case it’s something serious.