Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers accidentally mistook a hangover for a “devastating” eye condition.
Dave, who is back on telly with sidekick Si King for The Hairy Bikers Go North, blamed his hazy vision on too many beers.
But after giving his self-diagnosis to an optician, the TV chef was dismissed and referred to his GP and the hospital.
He was then given the awful news he had glaucoma.
Hairy Bikers’ Dave Myers on ‘devastating’ glaucoma diagnosis
If left untreated, glaucoma can cause blindness.
In a resurfaced interview with The Mirror, Dave described this worse case scenario as “catastrophic”.
Dave said he told the optician: “‘I had a bit of a night last night. So I’ve probably just got a bad hangover’.
Read more: The Hairy Bikers Go North: Dave Myers had a very surprising career before fame beckoned
“But she took no notice and referred me to my GP who made a hospital appointment. And she’d been right.”
Dave added: “I was devastated. If it hadn’t been spotted so early the result could have been catastrophic.”
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye condition where the optic nerve – which connects the eye to the brain – becomes damaged.
It is usually caused by pressure from the fluid in the front of the eye becoming too high.
The condition is most common in adults aged in their 70s and 80s but, as Dave has proved, it can occur in people of all ages.
The NHS warns that glaucoma does not always cause symptoms in the beginning, so is often first picked up at routine eye tests.
“It tends to develop slowly over many years and affects the edges of your vision (peripheral vision) first,” the NHS‘ Glaucoma website states.
If a patient is already experiencing symptoms, this can include blurred vision, or seeing rainbow-coloured circles around bright lights.
Raising awareness
Since his own glaucoma diagnosis, Dave has worked hard to raise awareness of the eye condition.
In 2018, he joined forces with Specsavers and RNIB [Royal National Institute of Blind People], for a campaign to coincide with National Eye Health Week.
At the time, Dave spoke of the impact his glaucoma could have had on his career if gone undiagnosed.
“Thankfully it was spotted during a routine eye test but if it had gone unnoticed, I could have gone blind and that would have had a huge impact on how I do the job I love so much,” he said.
Read more: The Hairy Bikers Go North: How did Simon King first encounter Dave Myers?
Dave added: “Like so many people, my career is my passion and it’s so hard to be able to imagine doing all the things I love to do if I couldn’t see, whether it’s riding my bike, reading an autocue or preparing ingredients.
“The thought that I could have lost my sight is really scary.”
The Hairy Bikers Go North, 12pm, BBC2, Saturday October 2, 2021
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.