Routine eye test saved Young Boy's Life

"IT SHOULD have been a routine eye test – but it turned out to be an appointment which saved 14-year-old Andy McNulty's life.

During the examination, optometrist Alister Blockley found serious haemorrhaging and swelling at the back of Andy's eyes and sent him straight to casualty.

Within days he was undergoing emergency surgery to drain fluid from his brain, and weeks later he had to have a second, six-hour operation in Leeds.

Doctors removed a tumour which, although was not big, was attached to his short-term memory nervous system, made the whole procedure fraught with danger.

His mum Sandra, of Scarborough Crescent, Bridlington, said: 'This has completely turned our world upside down – never did we expect to be sent to Scarborough's A&E department following a trip to the opticians.

'To be told your son's life is a ticking time bomb is the most distressing news any mother has to hear. I wouldn't wish that on any family.

'Andrew is a club swimmer so he is a fit and healthy youngster which has really helped him with his recovery as he amazingly spent just over a week in hospital following his operation.

'Doctors were stunned with the speed in which he has recovered and he's back at school already.'

Remarkably, Andy, who is a pupil at Headlands School, only went for an eye test after he had been to see his doctor to get his athlete's foot cured!

He mentioned in passing that he had been having headaches and his eyes were puffy, so the GP advised him to go for an eye exam."

Optometrist praised for swift diagnosis of papilloedema.

"An optometrist at Asda's Mansfield store whose swift diagnosis of a young customer led to the detection of a brain tumour has been named Asda's Shining Star of the year at its ceremony.

Sarfraz Ali discovered that 12-year old Jessica Wilkins had papilloedema after a colleague at the store suggested she have an eye test, having complained of a headache for several weeks and already been to an accident and emergency department and her GP. Ali referred her immediately to hospital, where after an MRi scan a brain tumour was discovered.

He was one of 37 colleagues nominated as a Shining Star, an award that is given out annually to someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. The event was presented by celebrity Ian Wright at the ICC in Birmingham last week and was a feature of Asda's Christmas campaign."

VDU's and Your Eyes

"The following precautions can lead to eye strain relief caused by VDU work:

Take frequent breaks
When you work at a VDU your eyes can be focused on the screen for long periods so it is important to take a brief rest and give your eyes a break every 20 minutes or so. You should have sufficient space behind the screen for you to be able to look beyond it and relax your eyes.


Screen settings and position
You should adjust your VDU to levels of brightness and contrast that you find comfortable. Keep the screen clean and free of dust and fingermarks. If possible, position it so that windows or other light sources are to the side rather than in front or behind it – if you can see a window or light unit reflected in the screen, move the VDU until the reflections disappear, or adjust blinds or curtains. The surface of the screen should be between 33 and 100cm from your eyes and if you are working from copy documents these should be placed at roughly the same distance to avoid continual re-focusing.


Lighting
Try to eliminate as much glare as possible from the region around your screen. This is not always straightforward, but as a general rule:

•The office lighting should be set at a level which allows the documents and screen to be read easily. Additional lighting – such as an Anglepoise lamp – may sometimes be necessary to achieve this.

• Avoid an uncurtained window directly in front of or behind your working position

• Any window reflected in the screen should be fitted with blinds or curtains

• Walls and desk surfaces should be non-reflective and neutral in colour

Anti-Reflective Glasses

Use anti-reflective lenses when using/wearing glasses for VDU work. This reduces eye strain."

VDU's and Your Eyes

"Although there is no reliable evidence to suggest that even long-term intensive use of VDUs is damaging to the eyes, it is true that VDU users tend to complain of eye strain more than non-users. This is likely to be due to fatigue through causes such as:

• Insufficient and infrequent rest periods

• Incorrect positioning of the screen and/or documents

• Unsuitable lighting

• Poorly designed work area

• An uncorrected eyesight fault such as long sight, short sight, astigmatism or presbyopia

• The eyes not working together comfortably.

Any of these conditions could lead to fatigue; all can be overcome through good design of the working environment and by regular eyecare."

New drug option for migraine sufferers

"AUSTRALIA'S three million migraine sufferers may be able to break the cycle of debilitating headache attacks with the first preventative medication being added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
At least 12 per cent of the population suffers from frequent migraines, but fewer than 10 per cent of sufferers use preventative medications. Topamax will be subsidised from today under the PBS for migraine sufferers.
Melbourne neurologist Valerie Tay said the most important thing was offering a new option to migraine sufferers that could improve their quality of life.
'This drug is not for everybody, but it does offer hope of a new option for people who are intolerant to other treatments,' she said.
Dr Tay said people who suffer from three or more migraines a month should see their doctor about preventative medications.
The symptoms of migraines include prolonged throbbing headaches, nausea, distorted vision, vomiting and sensory disturbances. Topamax, which is also used in the treatment of epilepsy, is aimed at reducing the frequency, severity and duration of migraines. A large majority of migraine sufferers use several types of painkillers, which often have limited effect.
Elizabeth Austin, a financial planner and mother of three from Sydney's north shore, is one of about three million Australians who suffer from regular migraines.
"I have three children and the migraines are very debilitating - I can't lead a normal life or look after my children," she said. "My 11-year-old has topack the lunches in the morning because the throbbing is so severe."

Ms Austin suffers up to a migraine a week, which puts her out of action for up to three days. She is thrilled at the possibility of medication that can prevent migraines."

Migraine sufferers offered hope as scientists identify the source

"Scientists have identified an area of the brain that causes debilitating migraine headaches.
Researchers in France observing the brain scans of volunteers found that activity in the hypothalamus gland was associated with an attack. The gland, in the centre of the brain just above the brain stem, has long been suspected to play a role, as it regulates physiological responses to factors known to trigger attacks, such as hunger. Other researchers suggest that more than one region of the brain causes attacks.
It is estimated that 190,000 migraines are experienced every day in England. They occur most often between the late teenage years and the age of 50, and it is thought that every day more than 100,000 sufferers miss school or work.
The researchers, from Rangueil Hospital, Toulouse, used positron emission tomography, which contrasts activity within the brain, on seven patients with migraine without “aura” – the type that accounts for most migraines.
Such attacks last up to 72 hours and are characterised by pulsating headache, nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to light. “Aura” refers to additional symptoms – neurological disturbances such as blind spots, flashing lights and tingling or numbness in the limbs.
It is hoped that the discovery, featured in the journal Headache, could lead to future treatments for sufferers."

Drug promises end to migraine misery

"A British doctor is leading a drugs trial that could spell the end of the misery endured by thousands of migraine sufferers. John Chambers, a consultant cardiologist at Guy's Hospital London, says that when, on a mere hunch, he tested clopidogrel, a simple clot-busting drug, on five patients plagued by migraines, it worked, in some cases, 'spectacularly well' .

Now a wider trial on 280 patients is under way with the results expected next year. If the drug proves similarly effective, it could mean an end to the throbbing head, nausea and flashing lights that characterise a typical attack.

Migraines affect at least one in 10 people in the UK and attacks can last as long as three days. Sufferers often feel drained of energy for a couple of days after an attack and, on average, experience 13 attacks a year.

Currently, migraines are treated with beta blockers, to lower blood pressure and regulate the heart, as well as anti-depressants. Other treatments include aspirin, paracetamol and stronger pain killers, such as Migraleve, which contains paracetamol, codeine phosphate and buclizine hydrochloride.

Dr Chambers's treatment is based on the hypothesis that migraines can be caused by tiny blood clots that form in the heart and travel to the brain, disrupting the blood flow and causing the t"