HAVING suffered from a sore neck, nausea, vertigo and changes in mood for a year, an Oxford student was eventually diagnosed with a brain tumour following a visit to a local opticians.

To mark National Eye Health Week Specsavers is encouraging people to make eye health a priority.

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Back in November 2019, Debora Krut, who was studying Spanish at Trinity College experienced a host of symptoms that called for concern.

It wasn't until her vision went completely black for 10 seconds that she called her mum, who is a nurse, and she recommended calling the hospital.

Oxford Mail: Debora KrutDebora Krut

They in turn suggested making an emergency opticians appointment so Debora went to Specsavers on Queen Street, Oxford where she was seen by optometrist Ciara Nί Chléirigh.

Ciara said: "When I used the volk lens and a special microscope called a slit lamp, which helps me view the eye in more detail, I could see a swelling on the optic nerve at the back of the eye which was a sign of papilloedema, usually caused by an increase of pressure in the head around the brain.

"I explained to Debora that what I’d seen needed further examination and gave her a letter to take with her to hospital. She was worried about missing a tutorial but without trying to alarm her too much, I explained that she needed to go straight away."

Deborah left the store and went to the John Radcliffe Hospital where she had further tests.

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She said: "They confirmed I had a build-up of pressure around my brain and was admitted that evening. The pressure increase was being caused by hydrocephalus, which is a build up of fluid, and the doctor explained that the root cause of this was a tumour in my brain."

Oxford Mail: Specsavers, Queen Street, OxfordSpecsavers, Queen Street, Oxford

The student had two surgeries to remove the tumour which was then followed by six and a half weeks of specialist proton beam therapy in Manchester.

She is still having scans every four months to monitor things and won’t be declared in remission until five years have passed.

Ciara says people should have an eye test every two years and that appointments to get checked should be made if there are any changes in your vision.

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She added: "Thankfully, instances such as these are rare, but it also highlights the crucial role eye examinations play in picking up conditions."

The latest figures show 23,400 people are living with sight loss in Oxfordshire. It also shows 7,420 have glaucoma, 7,210 have age-related macular degeneration and 7,650 have cataracts.

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