I don't need A&E - right?

[Tillow4ever]

So...

I woke up this morning with the same banging headache I've had for a few days now. Worst one ever, painkillers barely touch it, etc. But my left (the side is important) eye is also agony.

Throughout the day my eye has been weeping, loots a little red, feels like there is pressure on it, and isn't opening properly. It is a little more sore in the light.

Ordinarily I'd just treat with a bit of Optrex, painkillers and hope for the best. HOWEVER;

Last summer I got a really bad dental infection, on the left side, that spread up my face towards the eye. The dentist gave me strict instructions if it got to my eye I was to immediately go to A&E. She told me this 4 times in the appointment. The antibiotics at the time helped. But I could still feel the infection and there was still swelling. The dentist believed the infection was still there after 4 lots of antibiotics but under control.

Does this sound like the infection may have now reached my eye, in which case I should go to A&E?

I don't want to waste their (or frankly my own) time for an hours round trip plus time there. But if I leave it and it gets worse I might regret it.

Any suggestions for self treatment appreciated!

@Tillow4ever
I found them very helpful.

Our hospital has an eye casualty. Does yours? I’d go to that

Thank you all, I really appreciate your help, advice and kind words. I really don’t like to make a fuss, but in the back of my mind the dentist really scared me in the summer. Everything seems to be happening to my left side ever since that 😭 - the infection, bursitis in my shoulder then in my hip, now my eye. It all sucks!

What dental treatment did you have besides antibiotics?

It could be glaucoma that can cause you to lose the sight in that eye. You need to go NOW.

Cities have dentists on call in their a&e departments.

Unfortunately not where I live!

Sounds painful and needs assessing OP

Go!
If you have been told this take heed and go.
It's better than the alternative surely?

That was my first thought too.

@Tillow4ever any update op?

I wad actually just coming to update! I got distracted.

I have a course of antibiotics now as a precaution. Been told to go to eye casualty rather than A&E (unless it's outside of their opening times) if it gets any worse or there are still issues at the end of the course.

They don't know if it's related to the dental infection or not - the length of time makes it tricky I guess? They couldn't see any sign of injury and they don't believe it is conjunctivitis. So they ruled out a couple of the other things that could be causing it.

The headache is a lot better today as well. When I'm in the dark, there's virtually no pain in my eye - as soon as I'm in the light though it hurts again. Fingers crossed the antibiotics kick in quickly. They're called Metronidazole - I think they might be one of the ones I was given last summer.

I'm due to have the wisdom tooth out causing the issues in just over 4 weeks time.

Has anyone mentioned or have you looked up symptoms of uveitis? I had that - thought it was conjunctivitis initially but drops didn't touch it and online gp recommended a trip to eye casualty. At my hospital you have to go to a&e and ask for a referral to eye casualty you then go up to eye casualty and give in the referral form from a&e. You need either a gp referral or a&e referral to be seen.

In any case if you're at all concerned I would try and get seen at eye casualty. Anything that could be sight threatening isn't fun

Hiya - I did see that on my search yesterday. It did say that it is rare, so I was thinking surely it’s more likely to be linked to the infection we knew that I had rather than something else completely. I spoke to the local opticians on the scheme posted by one of the first posters. They told me to go to eye casualty. I’ve now got antibiotics with strict instructions about going back if it gets worse or hasn’t gone by the end of the course.

fingers firmly crossed that these work - I’m really fed up with everything that’s dogged me the last 8/9 months.

@Tillow4ever that's great that you got the antibiotic. Where did you go and who looked at it in the end?

I contacted the local opticians through the link up thread. They said they couldn’t help me because of the infection last summer and the possibility they were connected, so they sent me to one of the nearby city hospitals that has an eye casualty department. I hadn’t realised there was such a thing as eye casualty (I did wait until today as I didn’t think it was a good idea to drive myself with blurry vision, my husband was being funny about wanting to take me to A&E last night and it was going to be tricky because of the kids - I didn’t want to take them with us for god knows how long a wait, they couldn’t be left home alone into the night, and I couldn’t call my husband to collect me at god knows what time - and a taxi was unaffordable) but at least the queue for that isn’t as bad as normal A&E!

Really, really hoping the antibiotics do the trick this time! I have today noticed pain when pressing along my left cheekbone & the jiggles of the infection back in my mouth but I don’t know if I’m imagining those things now!

Ah that's great - good that you know about the eye casualty now too. Fingers crossed the antibiotics work. Sometimes these infections can really drag on but at least you are being treated.

A PP mentioned uveitis - which fits your symptoms. I've had this before - and it needs to be diagnosed and treated fairly urgently.

I think the takeaway message really is that anything to do with the eyes needs to be taken seriously as some conditions/injuries can lead to damage/blindness if not seen to urgently.