A DUDLEY student is encouraging people to visit their optician regularly, after an eye test potentially helped to save her life.

Jessica Boxley, aged 22, made an appointment to see her doctor after suffering from headaches, blurred vision and dizzy spells for two weeks.

After a thorough examination he suggested she visit her opticians, so Jessica scheduled an appointment at Specsavers in Castle Street, Dudley where she saw store optometrist, Hussnan Ejaz.

“After conducting a series of routine tests and using the digital retinal camera - which takes a picture of the back of the eye, I could immediately tell something was wrong with Jessica’s optic nerve,” Hussnan said.

“I detected a significant amount of swelling, which can be life threatening if not treated.”

Swelling of the optic nerve, or papilloedema, is a symptom of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a condition caused by an excess fluid around the brain.

This leads to a build-up of pressure, resulting in a range of symptoms including headaches, loss of vision, fainting and nausea.

Hussnan immediately referred Jessica to the City Hospital Birmingham for further investigation where she was admitted and underwent CT scans.

The specialist confirmed that Jessica was suffering from IIH and ordered a series of lumbar punctures to remove the excess fluid from her brain and relieve the pressure.

“The diagnosis was a huge shock to me,” Jessica said.

“I knew the headaches were bad but I never thought it could be such a serious brain issue.”

Fortunately, the procedure was successful and Jessica is now recovering at home and carrying on her with studies.

To manage the condition, she is continuing to receive monthly check-ups at the hospital.

“It all happened so quickly and I am so thankful to Hussnan for his swift thinking.

“It’s been a tough few months, but I am just really glad that we could identify the condition.

“I’m feeling a lot better and have been able to return to studying and my day-to-day life. This has made me realise the importance of regular sight tests and I’ll certainly be recommending that all my friends and family make sure they see their opticians at least every two years.”

Hussnan added: “Jessica’s story serves as a reminder that an eye test is a valuable health check for everyone, no matter what your age.

“We’re so pleased we could help Jessica, her story is quite rare but cases like this do happen and it’s important that people don’t neglect their eye health, because opticians can pick up a range of conditions through examining eyes.”