Meet the Wigan grandad saved from life threatening condition after urgent eye test

A Wigan grandfather has spoken of his gratitude to his local optician after a routine eye test uncovered a serious, life-threatening condition following a sudden loss of vision.

Edwin Causey, 78, from Warrington Road, woke on Saturday June 27 to find that he had completely lost the sight in his right eye.

His daughter, concerned for him and unfamiliar with the area, rang Specsavers Wigan to book him a Community Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES) appointment and to get help getting him into the Standishgate store quickly.

He was seen the same day by optometrist Irem Ahmed, who quickly recognised that Edwin's symptoms pointed to something far more serious than vision loss on its own.

Irem said: “Mr Causey came in with sudden loss of vision in his right eye.

“He was triaged and booked for a CUES appointment based on his symptoms.

“When he attended, his vision in that eye was completely gone and, on further questioning, he revealed he was also experiencing jaw pain when chewing and headaches.

“This immediately raised a red flag. When I checked the back of his eye, I noticed an abnormality in his optic nerve, and my priority was for him to be seen at an emergency eye clinic that same day.”

As it was a weekend, Irem arranged for Edwin to be seen urgently at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital rather than waiting for a local appointment.

Senior optical assistant Angela Higson, who has 28 years of service with Specsavers, helped to co-ordinate his fast-tracked visit.

Angela said: “Mr Causey’s daughter rang and booked the appointment and spoke with me to get help with getting him into the store urgently, as she wasn’t local and was unsure of the area when trying to get her dad here.

“After he was seen at the hospital, she called back to thank us for getting him seen so quickly, for our help, and for arranging for him to go on to Manchester Eye Hospital.”

Although Edwin's vision in his right eye, sadly, could not be saved, the swift referral meant that doctors were able to identify and treat the underlying condition - giant cell arteritis (also known as temporal arteritis) - before it became life-threatening.

The condition causes inflammation of the arteries, reducing blood flow to vital areas including the eyes and brain.

Without prompt treatment, it can cause permanent vision loss and increase the risk of serious complications such as a stroke.

He has since returned to see Irem and is recovering well while completing a course of steroids.

Edwin and his family have given their full permission for his story to be shared and are keen for others to understand the importance of acting quickly on any sudden changes in vision.

Irem added: “Edwin's case is a reminder of just how much a routine eye test can reveal about a person's wider health.

“Sudden vision loss should never be ignored, and I’m glad we were able to get him the emergency care he needed on the same day.”