Your Eyes and Brain Tumours

Children and adults alike can be affected by brain tumours.

In fact, they are the biggest cancer killer of people under 40.  Approximately 30% of people with a brain tumour will notice visual symptoms such as a change in their vision, double vision or a momentary loss of vision.  Headaches are also a key sign, especially in association with a change in the person’s general mood i.e., not being themselves or feeling depressed.

Some kinds of brain tumour can be detected by your Optometrist during a routine eye check. According to current UK guidelines everyone should have their eyes tested every two years (or as advised), yet only 25% of people follow this advice.  It is important to book your biennial eye test (or earlier if advised) to maintain your eye health as well as to increase your chances of detecting other potential health problems as early as possible.

Early diagnosis of brain tumours can have a big impact on the patient’s outcome (i.e their treatment options, how poorly they will be, their predicted lifespan, etc.).

So, it is important to know as soon as possible. Alton Murphy is pleased to announce that all Optometrists in our 13 practices have received bespoke training from The Brain Tumour Charity on the detection of brain tumours during an eye exam.

We are proud to say that we are the first independent optical group in the UK to have received this training.

Thankfully, brain tumours are rare, and now we feel even better equipped with this expert training on early detection.

OCT

Enhanced eye examinations with our OCT machines can pick up on numerous other health conditions too, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

These medical conditions can sometimes go un-noticed, and the patient may be totally unaware of their existence. But it is better to know sooner rather than later; early detection is likely to have a positive impact on your treatment options for getting back to full health.