GP or Optician?

[GreenPebbles]

When I was going to bed last night I noticed the vision in one eye was blurry and it's just new to me. When I have my good eye closed, the vision from my other eye is somewhat cloudy.

At night when the lights are out I can't see anything when my good eye is closed. Do you know how there is usually some sort of background light somewhere and you can still see when it's dark? When my good eye was closed I wasn't able to see anything. I wasn't able to make out any outlines of picture frames. When my two eyes are open my sight is much better.

This morning I am testing things. I can see things but my vision in the eye is cloudy.

I am just wondering if I need to go to my GP or option. I know my mother was going to opticians for years with regular appointments but they never found anything. It was her GP who found an issue and referred her to the eye clinic in the hospital and she has cateracts. But she was in her 60s with that.

Do I need GP or optician with vision that is cloudy in one eye?

If you happen to be anywhere near Windsor, there is an excellent walk in eye clinic. Prince Charles Eye Unit. They take walk ins from 9-5 I think x

Opticians.

I had conjunctivitis in one eye a few months ago. After seeing a pharmacist who told me it was hayfever despite me never having had hayfever in my life, I rang the doctors when it continued to get worse. They told me to go to the opticians as they have all the specialised equipment for looking into the eye.

I was seen the same day, sent back to the pharmacy for some drops and all the details about the consultation were sent to my GP and added to my records.

Opticians, if you don't feel like you have had enough answers then Gp as well. .

Er, it's not optional

You need to call into work and go and get seen. Now.

Optician can also refer you straight to eye hospital if necessary.
Some hospitals have a separate eye A&E. Thus isn’t something to leave.

Don't just try. Go.
Your eyesight is far more important than missing an hour or two of work.

Definitely optician. They will refer you to GP or hospital if needed.

Call opticians, any will do. They will do a proper eyescan which is authorised by the NHS, so it's not a standard appointment. It will be an emergency appointment.

I had cataracts in my early 40s - it can run in families.

Find what used to be called an opthalmic optician/opthalmologist and don't waste time seeing someone. It might be nothing, it might be slow developing cataracts but it can also be retinal issues which need immediate attention.

You mention being in the city - if that is London then check Moorfields' walk in clinic times. It can save time if you do need immediate attention.

Our hospital has an eye casualty. My dd has an ongoing issue with one eye so I'm there a lot.

As it's a casualty, you can just go and wait.

I mean this kindly, but are you mad? You’re risking blindness, you do understand this, don’t you?

That’s not true at all. A GP can refer you to urgent services, my GP has done so on two occasions. My optician referred me to my GP when I had vision problems. I’d bypass them.

@maverickfox well, it's always been true for me. I've been wearing glasses for 30 years and all my opticians have always told me not to bother with the GP for eye problems - either to ring them or if it's OOH, straight to hospital.

This may depend on the county you're in, but when we lived in Wiltshire the optician I saw was able to do a direct referral to the eye hospital and only needed to notify my GP that they had done so. However, in Dorset where we are now, all referrals have to be made by the GP, but it is very quick and done electronically on the same day. My appointment came through from the eye hospital a couple of days later.