Sharp eyes that saved boy’s sight

Ten-year-old Reagan Tolson had his sight saved thanks to his local optician. Reagan had been suffering unexplained watering of his eyes and so his parents took him to Specsavers in Morley.

The optician spotted he had the early stages of a very rare form of juvenile glaucoma and urged Reagan’s parents to take him to Leeds General Infirmary immediately, where he was given a CAT scan and later diagnosed with Buphthalmos – also known as juvenile glaucoma.

“We first became aware of Reagan’s eye condition after his school teacher raised concerns about it watering,” explains Mrs Tolson.

“He has never had trouble with his eyesight before and his vision appeared to be perfect, but we thought it would be good to seek advice from our local Specsavers.

“The optician referred us to the hospital immediately after noticing that Reagan’s eye was suffering from increased pressure, which was more than double the pressure an adult’s eye should normally be. This was quite a shock as Reagan had no symptoms to suggest there was a serious issue with his eye. The hospital kept him overnight for observation to ensure the treatment was working effectively.”

Buphthalmos is a very rare condition caused by an increased pressure within the eye, usually affecting just one in 10,000 young children. It is caused by a build up of fluid behind the iris which is unable to drain back into the bloodstream, applying undue pressure to the eye.

Unlike other forms of glaucoma, the symptoms of Buphthalmos can go undetected until problems with vision, such as Reagan’s watery eye, suddenly become apparent. Left untreated, glaucoma can lead to a loss of vision and enlargement of the eyeball.

“The day we took Reagan to Specsavers changed his life forever; he will probably have to take eye drops for the rest of his life and have an operation when he is an adult, but that’s a small price to pay for his eyesight. What happened to Reagan was completely out of the blue, and just highlights how important regular eye examinations for children are. I would urge all parents to make that quick trip to their local optician – it could really make all the difference.”

Louise Hardy, store director at Morley Specsavers, says: “Reagan is a very brave young boy and it’s fortunate that his teacher spotted his watery eye when he did. Regular eye examinations are vital; especially for children and an eye examination is a short procedure.

“Opticians not only look out for undetected problems with vision, but also for signs of any serious medical conditions such as diabetes and in rare cases glaucoma, like Reagan. I cannot stress enough just how important it is for children – and adults – to have their eyes tested regularly, at least every two years.”

Eye examinations for children are paid for by the NHS up to the age of 15 or 18 if they are in full-time education.