A ROUTINE eye examination for a Worcester woman helped prevent her from losing her sight.

Carole Riches did not realise she was suffering with retinal detachment but an eagle-eyed optician spotted the problem and sent her away for further analysis and corrective surgery.

Opticians are now urging people to have regular eye checks because they can help spot the early signs of a wide range of medical conditions ranging from retinal tears to brain tumours.

Mrs Riches thought she had good eyesight, but she got the shock of her life when she went for an eye examination at Specsavers Opticians, Broad Street, Worcester.

After failing a number of visual fields tests, the 49-year-old contact lens wearer was referred to an optical specialist where further tests revealed her right eye was showing signs of retinoschisis - a defect of the retina caused by ageing - while her left eye was suffering from a retinal detachment. Retinal detachment occurs when the retina begins to peel away from the back of the eye. If left untreated, the entire retina can tear off causing visual impairment and in severe cases blindness.

However, the condition was detected early and Mrs Riches was sent away for corrective surgery.

She said: "I was lucky that my retinal detachment was detected before it got far more serious. I now realise just how important it is to have your eyes checked regularly and that when experts think there is a problem you should treat their advice very seriously."

Specsavers store director Randeep Singh said: In the most severe cases, if a retinal detachment is not detected it can lead to complete blindness, so early detection can be very important.

"We're delighted that we have been able to prevent this condition from getting potentially far more serious. Retinal detachment affects around one in 10,000 people so it's not necessarily a condition you might think of if you have a problem with your sight.

"Carole's story highlights just how important regular eye checks are for your vision and wider health. Looking into your eyes can allow your optician to help spot the early signs of a wide range of important conditions, including retinal tears, but also glaucoma, diabetes, high blood pressure, blood disorders and certain brain tumours, to name but a few."