Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

Help! Any opticians or people who know about eyes?

13 replies

KB123456 · 30/01/2023 22:30

I’m in my late 30s and started having debilitating headaches around Christmas time which was completely unheard of for me. As per NHS England advice, I visited my optician thinking I would need stronger glasses and ended up going straight to casualty. They said there was extra pressure on my eyeball and it is supposed to be less than 20, but mine was 43. The optician explained it well, as did the casualty doctor, but I was so overwhelmed I struggled to take it and really don’t understand it. What is the pressure from? I was told it can be blocked because there’s so much pressure but why would there be pressure on my eyeball at all? I was told mine was very high, is it something I should be worried about or is it quite a normal problem on the scale of eye problems? The optician looked worried when the tests showed the pressure on my eye was 43 and he said it doesn’t happen very often, has anyone else on here ever had this experience? I’ve never had problems with my eyes before and thought I may just need some stronger glasses so it was a shock and I’m just slightly worried about it as I don’t fully understand it.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 30/01/2023 22:35

Have they offered treatment?
Apparently can be linked to the development of glaucoma

Onnabugeisha · 30/01/2023 22:43

As it’s only in one eye, it might be anterior uveitis(iritis) which is inflammation of the eye without the eye appearing red. The headaches usually are cluster headaches on the side of the eyeball affected. You get steroid eye drops to lower the pressure in your eyeball. It is quite urgent because with iritis the pressure can cause vision loss and they want to prevent that by treating you quickly.

My DS had this. He had follow ups at 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 12 months to check both his eyes at the eye hospital until they were sure it had cleared.

Original poster

KB123456 · 30/01/2023 22:47

Onnabugeisha · 30/01/2023 22:43

My DS had this. He had follow ups at 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 12 months to check both his eyes at the eye hospital until they were sure it had cleared.

Apologies, my post was unclear. It was in both eyes. One eye was 43 and the other was 40. Although the headaches were on the sides of my head. Your poor DH that sounds awful. Would I have been told if it were that? I don’t recall hearing that word, although I was so overwhelmed I don’t recall much at all!

OP posts:

Original poster

KB123456 · 30/01/2023 22:48

dementedpixie · 30/01/2023 22:35

Have they offered treatment?
Apparently can be linked to the development of glaucoma

Yes, I’ve been given some medicine to put into my eyes every day.

OP posts:

Onnabugeisha · 30/01/2023 22:48

I’m out of ideas then. I’m glad you’ve gone to A&E, they treat eyes every seriously and you should get answers fairly quickly.

Onnabugeisha · 30/01/2023 22:50

Oh, sorry, I thought you hadn’t seen an opthamologist yet. You should be able to call your GP and find out what the diagnosis was, it will have been added to your patient record.

Beebopawhop · 30/01/2023 22:52

Hi, it does indicate glaucoma whether it's acute or chronic is something you will be followed up with and the drops are there to lower the pressure in your eye. There can be a number of causes for this but if you are on drops you should be seen for follow up appointments. Has an appointment been made for the future ?

dementedpixie · 30/01/2023 22:52

Sounds like this:

glaucoma.uk/ocular-hypertension/

Daffodilsandtuplips · 30/01/2023 23:10

What eye drops have you been prescribed? I’ve got glaucoma, the type I have is low pressure glaucoma, my pressures are quite low.
Its one drop in each eye at night, I was on Lumigan but developed a reaction to the preservative it contains so now I’m on Bitmaprost. Both contain a prostaglandin, the drops reduce the pressure by leaching excess fluid from the eyes thus reducing the pressures. It’s important you keep using them.
If your eyes become red and painful or bulge go back to the eye clinic.
I’ve used steroid eye drops too, four times a day for 12 weeks I had Some kind of swelling at the back of my eye.

Daffodilsandtuplips · 30/01/2023 23:13

I go to the eye clinic every three months. You’ll be well looked after.

Twinklenoseblows · 30/01/2023 23:15

Sounds like glaucoma to me. Are they arranging a followup appointment? There are various types of glaucoma, but try to be assured that very often it can be managed very successfully with eye drops and your vision can be preserved and there are options beyond that like laser treatment etc if needed.

Original poster

KB123456 · 02/02/2023 17:46

I don’t think glaucoma was mentioned to me.

I didnt realise the pressure was in the eye - I thought it was on the eyeball ! Doh ! I didn’t understand it all at the time but they told me the numbers and I presumed it was pressure going only my eye ball !

I was just confused and slightly concerned at the reaction of my optician as he said it doesn’t happen very often , in fact he said the machine was possibly broken until he used something else and it wasn’t broken .. i suppose what I’m asking is is this a normal problem to find within the realm of eyeball problems or is it something serious? I just expected some new stronger glasses !

OP posts:

SoGladofYou · 02/02/2023 18:24

OP, I don’t want to alarm you unnecessarily, but this is a very high eye pressure. Do be really diligent in applying your eyedrops, and go back to your optician and ask them to check your pressures again, maybe in three or four weeks time. If there is no improvement, they should be able to refer you to the rapid access clinic at your local hospital.

Flip