A routine eye examination has saved the sight of a Bradford woman after a huge tear at the back of her eye was spotted.

Vanessa Moore, 42, of Undercliffe, had been experiencing difficulty with her sight after ‘floaters’ appeared in her eyes and her sight became hazy.

At first, she thought she was suffering from migraines, but to be on the safe side she decided to have her sight tested at the opticians.

She said: “I had been having some problems with my right eye.

“I kept seeing spots and floaters, but simply put it down to being tired and run down. I was driving my son Connor to school and I knew something was not right. As soon as I dropped him off, I went straight to the opticians.”

The optometrist, examining her, noticed some abnormalities at the back of her right eye and immediately made an urgent referral to Bradford Royal Infirmary to investigate further.

After being assessed, she was told she had a substantial tear at the back of her eye and a detached retina and would need surgery straight away.

She then had laser surgery on the eye and was discharged and told to rest.

Her eyesight remained distorted and she had to return to the hospital for further tests and extensive surgery.

She said: “If I hadn’t gone to the opticians I would have lost my sight. I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for me.

“I cannot stress enough how important it is for anyone who has concerns about their eyesight or health as all it takes is a 20 minute consultation and it could mean the chance of a condition being caught and treated without any permanent damage.”

Saela Ghazi, optometrist at Specsavers in Darley Street, Bradford, where the initial eye test was carried out, said: “It is so important for people to have their eyes tested regularly.

“Unfortunately, it’s a common misconception that an eye test purely measures the quality of a person’s eyesight and we are campaigning hard to educate the public on the benefits of receiving regular examinations.”