Routine checks reveal condition that could have blinded Kim

A WOMAN is urging others not to take their sight for granted after routine checks revealed a condition which could have blinded her.

Kim Champion (46) from Maltby said surgery saved her eyesight after opticians spotted the warning signs of glaucoma.

She spoke out during National Glaucoma Awareness Week.

“I had no reason to think there was any kind of problem with my eye health until I was tested,” said Kim.

“I didn’t have any pain, my eyes didn’t look or feel any different and the quality of my sight hadn’t deteriorated.”

An optometrist at Vision Express first told Kim she had ocular hypertension, or high pressure in the eyeball.

This condition raises the risk of glaucoma, if left untreated, so Kim was referred to a specialist eye clinic at Rotherham Hospital.

Just a week after seeing a consultant, she started laser eye surgery treatment.

Glaucoma is a condition which damages the optic nerve, causing a loss of information from the eye to the brain.

There are about 600,000 people with glaucoma in the UK, but 300,000 are thought to be undiagnosed.

“I’ve had reading glasses for about 15 years, so I make optical appointments at least annually in case my prescription needs to be changed,” said Kim.

“In the last five years, two visits found that I had separate eye conditions — but I hadn’t even realised there was anything wrong.”

Last year, another routine check-up showed Kim had narrow angles — another sign of possible glaucoma.

She now gets regularly seen by a consultant, who is monitoring her eye conditions.

Kim said: “I would hate to lose my sight. You only get one pair of eyes so it’s important to look after them.

“If it wasn’t for having my regular check, I would have been none the wiser and my eye health could have suffered.”

She added: “I can’t stress how important it is to go for regular test. If my experiences are anything to go by, you can’t just assume your eyes are fine.

“Don’t wait to be prompted by something out of the ordinary to get checked.”

Russell Young, chief executive of the International Glaucoma Association, said: “It is vital that we do more to reach at-risk groups — including anyone over 40, close blood relatives of people with glaucoma and African Caribbbeans.

“With a concerted effort to reach these groups, we hope that more and more people will book an eye health check as a matter of urgency.”