Your eyes are one of your most important organs. When they’re damaged, you can suffer severe consequences.

If the damage was the result of negligence on the part of an optician or optometrist, it is perhaps even more devastating than if it was the result of illness or an accident.

When this type of medical negligence affects you, it’s a frightening time. You may not know how you might end up affected in the long term or what the legalities surrounding such an experience are.

How could you experience harm by an optician?

Visits to the optician are meant to be simple and painless. You’re supposed to just get your vision checked and to have any visual aids upgraded or altered. For a typical visitor to an optician, it shouldn’t involve anything more taxing than this.

However, this isn’t always the case for everyone. There are occasions when things go wrong and you end up suffering physical harm from the negligence your optician has shown. This could be the result of a misdiagnosis of an eye condition, which is then left to deteriorate, therefore causing you to suffer more harm to your vision.

You might also receive the wrong prescription for your glasses’ lenses, which can have a degenerative effect on your vision. Delayed diagnosis and treatment is another concern. If your optician or optometrist does notice that you’re suffering from an eye condition, but doesn’t act swiftly enough, you could suffer from irreversible sight damage.

The effect on your sight and life

After an experience such as this, you could suffer from any number of physical and psychological symptoms. It is important to recognise what you could find yourself going through so you know what your optician may have caused.

You could find yourself suffering from blurred vision or a decrease in sharpness. You may experience double vision, which could result in trouble reading or viewing certain forms of content. Problems with your eyesight can also cause significant headaches and migraines, as well as neck and shoulder pain.

The worst symptom resulting from substandard optical treatment, however, is partial or full loss of vision. This could be irreversible, so it’s vital to take action as soon as you notice any changes to your sight.

These physical symptoms can have a resulting impact on your mental and emotional health. You might find that you become more anxious and nervous about leaving the house if you can’t see as well as you once did. This could result in a drop in confidence and self-esteem.

You could also find yourself suffering from depression, which could then impact on your family life. Your relationships with your loved ones could become strained and difficult to manage.

Meanwhile, if you are struggling to see properly, you could find that you can no longer drive. This could have an impact on your work, if you’re no longer able to get there or carry out necessary duties behind the wheel. This can have real financial implications.

Your quality of life can be affected in so many ways after suffering from vision damage. It just emphasises how important proper optical treatment is.

If you have not received this level of care, you can take legal action. Optician negligence is something to take seriously. It has far-reaching and long-term consequences, so don’t assume there is nothing you can do about it.

Image copyright: PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek