England football fan follows the Three Lions after surgery for condition estimated to affect millions of Britons

An England football fan who thought his TV set was to blame for blurry match action has been able to follow the Three Lions this summer, thanks to surgery for a sight-stealing condition.

 

Leatherhead resident Alan Lowe, aged 79, who describes himself as an armchair fan, bought a bigger TV to watch England play, mistakenly believing his fuzzy sight was down to a poor picture on screen.

 

The grandfather of two explains: “I noticed the outline of everything had a fuzziness to it. Watching the football just wasn’t as clear as it used to be, so I bought a new TV, but then I still felt something wasn’t quite right. My optician told me it was cataracts, and I could get NHS treatment at SpaMedica near me in Epsom.”

 

Alan had the sight-saving surgery first on his left eye, followed by the right eye. He said: “It didn’t take long to recover at all, and it definitely made a difference.

 

“I always go for regular eye check-ups, because I know you can spot other potential conditions too. I think if you’ve got any health issue you should get it sorted, especially as you get older.”

 

Alan’s story reflects the experiences of many affected by cataracts. Research from SpaMedica found that watching TV is the number one pastime cataract patients struggle to enjoy, with more than half (52%) citing television as the hobby they miss most prior to seeking treatment.

 

With Alan’s cataracts now treated, he has high hopes for Thomas Tuchel’s squad as they continue their campaign Stateside.

 

The lifelong Manchester United fan added: “You just don’t know with football, but I think England has got as good a chance as any of the teams competing, after all, they say the Premier League is the best in the world.”

 

Dr Alex Silvester, leading ophthalmologist and Chief Medical Officer at SpaMedica, believes the international games offer a valuable opportunity to spot the subtle warning signs that a relative’s vision is deteriorating.

 

“As sight loss can sneak up on you, it may be hard to realise just how much your vision has deteriorated until trying to watch fast-moving and visually detailed action like football on the TV,” says Dr Silvester. “Alan isn’t the only patient who has upgraded his TV believing the problem is with the screen rather than due to vision loss.

 

“An estimated 3.3 million people in the UK suffer from vision impairment due to cataracts. The good news is that cataracts are treatable. We hear from patients every day who tell us that after the simple surgery they’ve returned to doing and seeing the things they love. In fact, our research found that cataract surgery can improve quality of life significantly, offering a renewed sense of independence and confidence.”

 

Here are Dr Silvester’s top five red flags to spot whilst watching the summer of football:

If someone moves much closer to the TV than usual, a sight condition like cataracts, which can impair distance vision, could be to blame.

Cataracts can cause colours to appear faded and dull. This makes it harder to distinguish between different kits. If a family member is confusing players or teams, this indicates potential vision loss.

Repeatedly asking about the score, who is being substituted or booked, or how many minutes are left on the clock, signals difficulty reading TV captions. If this wasn’t a problem previously, it’s worth considering an eye test.

Cataracts can cause cloudy vision. Turning the brightness unusually high suggests a struggle with contrast and clarity.

You might assume this points to potential hearing loss (and you’d be right), but some people may increase volume to follow the commentary, compensating for vision problems.

The natural lens in the eye contains proteins that change with age. Eventually, these changes cause the lens to become cloudy and lose its transparency – this is a cataract. Around one third of people in the UK over the age of 65 have a cataract that affects vision in one or both eyes. Symptoms include: