A VISIT to Specsavers Uxbridge to have a repair carried out on his son’s glasses resulted in Mr Bilal Bhatti having an unplanned eye test and being referred directly to his GP.
Prior to visiting the store in April 2023, Mr Bhatti had noticed that he was suffering from red eyes and that his right eye appeared blood shot and was weaker. However he put this down to spending too much time on his computer and not taking many breaks during the day and getting out into the fresh air. Also working at home, his normal exercise routine had changed, and he was spending much more time looking at a screen.
An accountant by profession, much of his working day involves spending time on spreadsheets and detailed work with figures, so he thought that this was the main contributory factor causing the red eyes.
It was while he was waiting for his son’s glasses to be repaired that Mr Bhatti came to realise he hadn’t had an eye test for over 11 years – it came up in conversation with retail director Ekta Kumar. Mr Bhatti had had laser eye surgery on both eyes because he had been fed up with wearing glasses and feeling a little off balance when walking. He hadn’t had an eye test since.
Ms Kumar encouraged him to have an eye test which he agreed to. Mr Bhatti had the normal optical tests to assess the pressure in the eyes and an optical eye health assessment with Thaksha Sritharan, optometrist. In addition, he was offered an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) 3D scan, which is an advanced diagnostic that can detect eye conditions up to four years ahead of them presenting via a standard eye test.
It was during the eye test that hypertension was identified in the right eye. Mr Bhatti was then referred directly to his GP whom he saw four days later. At this point he was also complaining of a pain in his right eye and his right arm was bright red. The GP carried out diagnostic assessments including monitoring blood pressure, which was extremely high, and indicated Hypertension Stage 3, the most severe case of high blood pressure that requires immediate medical attention.
Mr Bhatti was referred for an emergency appointment to the cardiac unit at Hillingdon Hospital NHS FT where he saw the Consultant Cardiologist and underwent further tests including an ECG, and was prescribed medication to manage the blood pressure, with recommendations to reduce his cholesterol and introduce some gentle daily exercise, such as walking.
Commenting on his recent experience, Mr Bhatti said; ‘I am extremely lucky that I had an eye test that day. The team at Specsavers in Uxbridge have been incredibly professional and supportive. I’m still young, only 44, however the doctors I saw were all surprised that I hadn’t had a stroke!’
Mr Bhatti visited the store again on 25th April and saw another optician, Sajid Abbasi who dispensed his new prescriptive glasses. It was during the collection of his new glasses, that Mr Bhatti personally thanked Ms Kumar for all the assistance she had given during his visits to Specsavers Uxbridge.
Commenting Mr Bhatti said: ‘I have now changed my diet to a plant based one, to help reduce my cholesterol levels and I am walking for about an hour a day. Also, I now have a pair of prescription glasses for close work which is helping. I am incredibly grateful to everyone.’
Ms Kumar said; ‘I’m really pleased that Mr Bhatti’s health is improving. This situation highlights how important it is to have regular eye tests and to ensure that you see an optometrist whenever you notice something unusual with your eyes. We have diagnostic equipment in store that can really help our patients identify potential issues, as an eye test is also an indicator of our general health and wellbeing too. As a team we wish him well!’
You can discuss any eye or hear care queries with the team at Specsavers Uxbridge on 01895 256010 or you can book an appointment online: www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/uxbridge
