Hello!

[Joanna_GlaucomaUK]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to introduce myself to everyone here. I'm Jo, Head of Support Services at the IGA (soon to be known as Glaucoma UK). I oversee the helpline and other services we offer to people with glaucoma. For example, we work with hospitals to run glaucoma support groups and provide information booklets.

I'm really excited about Health Unlocked, and getting to know all of you. If there are things we can to help you manage your glaucoma, please do let us know. We're here for you, so please get in touch with ideas and comments.

I look forward to hearing from you!

[nonny]

Hi Joanna,

My name is Nici and a few years ago I saw a consultant Opthalmologist privately because of increased pressures in both eyes, discovered at a routine eye appointment at Boots.

On examination he discovered I had acute narrow angle Glaucoma in both eyes. I was treated with laser surgery and at the same time had lens implants in both eyes to adjust extreme long sightedness and a squint.

Afterwards nothing was mentioned about any further problems with the glaucoma and because my pressures have remained ok do I assume that this is dealt with and I will have no further problems?

Grateful for your help

Nici

[Trish_GlaucomaUK Partner in reply to nonny]

Hello Nici,

Even though you have had successful iridotomies and lens replacement you should still be seen at the eye clinic due to being diagnosed with glaucoma. This would be to make sure that the iridotomies are still working and pressure is being controlled. If your consultant has signed you off with no more appointments necessary you should have been told of this and advised to have regular eye health checks at your opticians. This is normally every two years unless your consultant feels you need to be checked on a yearly basis. If you were never told that you were being signed off from the eye clinic it would be a good idea to phone the eye secretary to check.

[Raycov]

Hi Joanna

Welcome to your new role.

I am writing to you because of a concern I have had since taking my DVLA glaucoma test that I took about two years ago. I failed the first two attempts because of a negative score. So I asked the tester how I was getting a negative result and he said it was because I had been reacting to the beeps the machine produced. Knowing this I passed the third attempt.

I have had many DVLA tests before without any problems so it concerns me that someone could fail a test simply by reacting to a sound.

Is this now a standard part of the DVLA test? If it is then I believe it to be unfair because it is not only testing peripheral vision but your ability to disregard sound.

I would be grateful to hear your view on this concern.

Sorry to make my first contribution a bit of a moan but I wasn't sure where else I could share it.

Best of luck and regards

Ray Williams

[JanD236 in reply to Raycov]

I wonder if you can ask them to turn the sound off?

Failing that phone DVLA to ask if they can refer you to a different place for the tests? It’s unusual for the machine to have a beep as the light flashes.

[Trish_GlaucomaUK Partner in reply to Raycov]

Hello Raycov.

Any visual field test machine which emits a beep each time you press the button can be adjusted but it cannot be muted completely if doing a test for UK driving. When the DVLA send out letters asking someone to make an appointment at a Specsavers branch they now give the option of up to 4 branches and state what type of visual field test machine they have. You then have an option of phoning the branch and ask about the machine that they use.