Willem Koopmans, from the Netherlands, has been living in Jávea for six years. In October, he noticed that his eyesight was getting worse and he booked an eye exam at Specsavers Ópticas. She had had headaches, but he didn't think it was anything serious. Therefore, she was very surprised when she optometrist Cecilia Navarro He told him that they had found signs of glaucoma during the visual examination and urgently referred him to the Juan Carlos private hospital.
“I had noticed some changes in my vision and had some headaches, but I thought I just needed some new glasses. Although I have a family history of glaucoma, I wasn't very aware of the impact it can have on vision and, having so few symptoms, I didn't think I could get it either. Of course, I wasn't happy when they told me I might have glaucoma, but I appreciate that they were able to spot the signs of the disease before it did any more damage and refer me to a specialist for diagnosis and treatment. I am now taking drops to control it, my headaches are gone and my eyesight is much better. Although I am not 100%, at least I know that the glaucoma will not get worse as long as I continue with the treatment of the drops."
In addition, the patient thanks the team of professionals at Specsavers Ópticas in Jávea, as well as encouraging everyone to have an eye exam regularly. "It doesn't hurt, it only takes about 25 minutes and it can save your eyesight," adds Williem.
A recent survey by Specsavers in the United Kingdom revealed that the case of Willem Koopmans is not an isolated one and that there are many people who are not aware of this disease and its impact on vision. Nearly half of respondents (48%) said they don't know what glaucoma is, 42% of respondents don't care because they think it's "rare," and 40% mistakenly believe it can be "cured."
For Specsavers It is alarming that a fifth of the population (21%) still do not know how often they should see their optometrist for a routine check-up and that the same percentage do not remember their last eye exam or have never had one. This increases the risk of developing serious eye health complications, including losing your sight.
The optometrist and director of Specsavers Ópticas in Javea, Cecilia Navarro, points out that “I want to raise awareness about glaucoma and how damaging it can be to sight. Unfortunately, as we can see in this case, the disease has very few symptoms, even when the damage to the eye is quite extensive, so visual tests to detect the disease early are essential.
“When we performed Willem's visual exam, we found that his intraocular pressure was very high, more than 35 mmHg in the left eye and more than 25 mmHg in the right. Thanks to his treatment it has dropped to 20 and 17 respectively. Unfortunately, I could also see increased cupping of the optic nerve, especially in his left eye, and during the test it became clear that there had been damage to his peripheral vision. Fortunately, now that he is undergoing treatment, this will not worsen and his vision remains generally good. However, he would have lost much more vision if he had not undergone an eye exam and urgently received medical attention." Adds Cecilia.
Vision loss from glaucoma is irreversible, so since Specsavers Ópticas they encourage people to get eye exams every two years, or sooner if they notice vision changes or headaches. Early diagnosis is key to saving sight.
Request your appointment now Specsavers Ópticas and book your free eye exam now.
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