GP or Optician

SunnySusie

Hi,
I seem to have a funny visual problem in one eye and I want to seek professional advise. There is a small patch off centre where my vision has become impaired - like a dark spot where my colour vision and focus have gone a bit "off".

Reading around it seems it could be anything from a large "floater" to optic nerve probs to whatever. A bit scary but I clearly need to see someone.

I've never seen an optician before, is this something they can look at? Or is it a GP kind of thing? Or maybe either? I just have no idea.

Any opticians/GPs around who can point me in the right direction? And if anyone can relate to this, what did you do and what happened?

Thanks!

debsy42

Have you had the problem for a while or is it quite recent?

To be honest I think eyes are something you can't really mess about with so if you can't get a quick'ish appointment with either optician or GP, I would find out if a local hospital has an eye casualty department.

Indie_Kid

Go to either one and ask for a referal to the eye hospital. The GP / optician will do an eye test before ferring you.

Soubrette

I would say the optician has the most specialised equipment for examining your eye.

It'll be the GP that refers though won't it? I thought the optician then wrote a letter to the GP asking them to refer?

Sou

Nicki

I'd go to an optician first as they are the specialists in eye problems. If a referral is needed, they will organise that for you quickly, even if it needs to be via the GP. Some eye problems such as a detached retina need to be dealt with very quickly otherwise sight can be permanently impaired so I wouldn't waste any time in making an appointment with the optician.

SunnySusie

Thanks for the replies. Yikes seems like there isn't a clear answer but either way it seems I need to get the ball rolling asap!

There are plenty of opticians up in town so might try that 1st thing in the morning.

The prob has been around about a week. I guess my instinct is that it seems an "annoyance" but what do I know - will seek a pro examination asap.

Thanks for the replies - will try to post a follow up in the next couple of days.

cattkitt

I've had queries about my eyes before.

First incident - tried going to the GP. He referred me to the optician, who wrote a letter for the GP, who referred me to the eye hospital.

Second incident - I wised up. Went to the optician, who wrote for the GP saying that I needed to see a specialist within a week(the word WEEK was underlined). Went to the GP, handed him the letter, emphasized the timescale, he wrote the referral. I harassed the GP's clerical staff the next day, and they faxed it to the eye hospital. So that order of things, combined with appropriate hustling and harassment, seems to do the trick!

kyssyn

I have retinitis pigmentosa and cataracts and I've had corneal ulcers in the past. So quite a few eye problems! I found out about the retinitis pigmentosa because my optician saw a burst blood vessel in my eye, told me to go to the gp, who then referred me to opthalmology even though she couldn't see the problem. I found out about the corneal ulcers because I went to the gp who referred me to ophthalmology instantly. So, it can work either way but if I were you I'd go straight to the gp because your problem seems to have developed quite quickly. Good luck with whatever you decide though

melancholly

emergency eye department all the way - best of both worlds. they should have the chance to walk in like it's A&E. they're not in every hospital or linked to every A&E but there should be one. from experience of friends, the staff in the eye centre will refer you for appropriate treatment and then inform the GP. if you can't find the details, ring the main hospital switchboard and ask there - they will tell you where to go or which hospital to go to.

skintdragon

SunnySusie wrote: »

Hi,
I seem to have a funny visual problem in one eye and I want to seek professional advise. There is a small patch off centre where my vision has become impaired - like a dark spot where my colour vision and focus have gone a bit "off".

Reading around it seems it could be anything from a large "floater" to optic nerve probs to whatever. A bit scary but I clearly need to see someone.

I've never seen an optician before, is this something they can look at? Or is it a GP kind of thing? Or maybe either? I just have no idea.

Any opticians/GPs around who can point me in the right direction? And if anyone can relate to this, what did you do and what happened?

Thanks!

I would advise you do not drive or operate machinery at this stage.

I would also suggest you go and seek an opinion off an opthalmologist; your local A&E may have a dedicated eye A&E. It would be worthwhile checking this out. Cut out the middle men; treat it as urgent until proven otherwise.

An optician can assess things like visual acuity (where you look at the charts etc) and visual fields and examine your retina and cornea etc... but any subsequent "treatment" which may be required will have to either be from GP or your hospital.

Let us know how it goes... hope it's nothing too serious. :A

nedmundo

Most Eye Casualty units will only see patients on direct referral from a GP or Optometrist. I'd go to the Opticians ASAP as a 1st port of call (better equipment and more specialised), don't drive and allow plenty of time as they may want to put drops in you eyes to get a better view, before deciding on the best course of action.

Let us know what happens.