Latest news with #RoyalBournemouthHospital
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Woman, 21, forced to 'glue eyelids open' just so she can see due to rare condition - but doctors say there's no cure
A woman who thought she had bad hayfever was diagnosed with a rare condition that means she sometimes has to use glue and tape just to keep her eyes open. Tia-Leigh Streamer, 21, from Dorset was baffled when she woke up in May 2023 with a drooping eyelid. Initially assuming it was seasonal allergies, it wasn't until months later that she was revealed to suffer with a disorder - blepharospasm - which causes muscles around the eyelids develop an involuntary spasm and cause the lids to twitch, flutter or blink uncontrollably. Doctors at Royal Bournemouth hospital trialled Botox injections in her eyelids in March last year, and since then she hasn't been able to open her eyes without the jabs. When the Botox wears off, the only way she can see is by taping and gluing her eyelids or holding her eyes open with her hands. Even when the jabs are effective, sunlight, car headlights and computer screens can trigger Tia-Leigh's eyes to close. In severe cases sufferers may be unable to open their eyes due to excessive eyelid spasm. Doctors do not have a cure but are continuing to trial different volumes of Botox in her eyelids. 'I have the same level of sight as a visually impaired person but I've got nothing wrong with my eyesight,' Tia-Leigh, who was an aspiring trainee accountant, explained. 'I know it's neurological but they don't know what causes it which makes it worse for me, because if they could say it's caused from this, I think it would make me feel slightly less in the dark. 'To be told I've got this for the rest of my life and not know why is a hard thing to deal with.' She admitted she's 'not been coping very well' and was prescribed antidepressants half-way through the ordeal. 'I didn't get along with them,' she continued. 'I tried therapy, I've tried hypnotherapy but nothing was helping. 'The longer it's gone on I've gotten used to it but there are still days where I get really down about it. Especially as the Botox runs out.' Tia-Leigh added that the longer she grapples with the condition, the more her body will get used to the injections and 'it won't work anymore'. 'I have them done every eight to 10 weeks at the moment. It was 12 weeks. But I only get about three to five weeks where it actually takes any effect,' she remarked. 'The rest of the time I have to physically hold my eyelids open to be able to see anything. 'When I glue or tape them open I can't blink at all. The doctors have said the longer I do that for then I've got more chance of actually damaging my eyes and then possibly losing my sight, which I don't want to do.' Tia-Leigh has even had bruises on her eyelids from the tape before. 'It's hard,' she admitted. 'Because I've either got no sight or one hand essentially.' Tia-Leigh was training to become an accountant, but has had to stop working because of her condition - ruining the plans she had for her life. 'As soon as I got ill I was basically told that this was something that I could never do because of the computer screens,' she explained. 'It was awful to be honest, I had everything planned out. I was training to do that and I was saving to move out and get married and have children and it was all taken away from me. What is blepharospasm? According to the National Eye Institute, blepharospasm (also called benign essential blepharospasm) is 'blinking or other eyelid movements, like twitching, that you can't control'. 'Eyelid twitching usually goes away on its own. But people with benign essential blepharospasm can develop severe and chronic (long-term) eyelid twitching,' the site explained. Symptoms usually start with 'small eyelid twitches that happen every once in a while'. This can increase overtime and often cause the eyes to close completely. In some cases, people also get twitches in other parts of their face. It added: 'Blepharospasm happens when the part of the brain that controls your eyelid muscles stops working correctly. 'Sometimes blepharospasm runs in families, and women ages 40 to 60 are more likely to develop it. But in most cases, doctors aren't sure what causes it.' Treatment options include Botox injections and in some cases a surgery called a myectomy - where muscle nerve tissue is removed from the eyelid - can be recommended to alleviate symptoms. The NEI recommends seeing an eye doctor if: Source: NEI 'It's the stress of it as well that makes it worse. Anytime I'm really stressed it will make my eyes closed and accounting, I found it really stressful.' For her, the biggest struggle is loss of freedom and independence. She can't go out by herself if her eyes are closed, unless someone can drop her off. Tia-Leigh avoids solo outings because she gets 'too anxious not being able to see it'. 'I'm basically inside most of the time,' she said. 'It stops me doing things I enjoy. I used to do a lot of crocheting but you need to have two hands to do that so I can't do that even when I'm at home. 'I can't go down and make my dinner because I've got one hand so I'm restricted to what I can and can't make.' Furthermore, she gas to ask her family to make her meals, and sometimes cut her food up for her. 'It's like I'm going back to being a child again because I can't use a knife and fork and see what I'm doing,' the 20-year-old added. Tia-Leigh got married in December 2024 and had to time her Botox injections to ensure she could see on her wedding day. 'I wanted to make sure that I had the Botox two weeks before my wedding because it takes my eyes about a week to open after I've had it done,' she explained. 'It was a scary day and I think that's one of the reasons that prompted us to get married so quickly. 'I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to get married and be able to have my eyes open to see what's going on.' Another future concern is having a baby in the future. 'I often have nightmares about it to be honest because even when I have Botox done, at night-time my eyes don't open,' she continued. 'Night-time is the worst, they just won't open at all. I have nightmares about a baby next to me and it's crying and I can't wake my husband up and I can't get around to help because of my eyes. 'I do know now there are things that can be put in place to help because obviously people who are blind all the time still have children.' The current solution relies on a trial and error year plan from her doctor. 'He's going to change the volume of the Botox in the top and bottom lid of my eyes,' Tia-Leigh said. 'He might change slightly where he puts the injections and he's going to be monitoring it and seeing how long it lasts. 'It's about hoping he'll be able to find a better balance so we can have some longer effects out of the Botox.' She has been documenting her experiences on TikTok, where Tia-Leigh has more than 3,700 followers.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New Bournemouth emergency department 'incredible', says doctor
A new emergency department has been described as "incredible" by staff as they start to care for their first purpose-built facility within Royal Bournemouth Hospital is part of a £500m investment in Dorset NHS new A&E will eventually serve both Bournemouth and Poole and doctors working in the new facility said it was just what they "hoped it would be".The emergency department officially launched earlier in May and has begun seeing new patients in the £91m BEACH building. The branch is twice the size of the previous Bournemouth and Poole emergency departments and is part of a huge shake up to University Hospital Dorset was one of the first patients to be cared for after a fall at said: "I felt strange and wobbly which is something that's happened a lot to me. I've been to a lot of hospitals all over the world this is streaks ahead, much better." David Martin, consultant in emergency medicine, said: "It is incredible, it's just what I hoped it would be and I can already see the benefit, I can already see our patients benefitting and actually the staff as well."No patient ever wants to be in the emergency department, you don't want to be unwell, but if you're unwell you want to be in a clean, dignified environment and that's what we can now provide." 'Helps massively' Staff said patient waits for care should fall thanks to a quicker triage system and the new layout design meant quicker access to nurse said the site was "brilliant", while another added the extra space "helps massively with the flow of the department".Currently, the new department is only caring for Bournemouth patients, with Poole emergency department remaining open for an estimated eight more Browning, a consultant in emergency medicine, said: "Poole is still very much open for business. It's still the emergency department as it was previously, still the area's trauma unit and still has paediatrics on site."So if you would normally go to Poole hospital, still go to that emergency department." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
New emergency department opens at Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Bournemouth's emergency department has begun seeing patients in its new, purpose-built facility within the same midnight, the unit at Royal Bournemouth Hospital moved 100m away to the BEACH the old and new departments have been operating in parallel overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday to ensure a smooth emergency department services remain unchanged. The new £91m BEACH building, which opened in March, also houses a maternity unit and children's is part of a £500m transformation of University Hospital Dorset (UHD) emergency department (ED), which occupies the ground floor, has dedicated entrances for patients arriving by foot, car, or ambulance.A spokesperson said: "When you attend one of our EDs, you will need to book in with a receptionist. "You will then be seen by a triage nurse who will treat you, refer you to another health care provider such as an out of hours GP or a dentist, or allocate you for treatment in the department. "Before you attend one of our EDs, please check you are choosing the right service for you." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
HIV-positive man welcomes Berkshire hospital A&E blood testing
A man living with HIV believes a new initiative to test people for the virus when they visit A&E will help save aged 16 and over who receive blood tests while at Royal Berkshire Hospital's (RBH) emergency department will also be checked for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis hospital in Reading is in a "high-prevalence" area for the blood-borne viruses, and has become one of 47 across the country running the opt-out from Maidenhead, said because he was diagnosed early, effective medication meant the virus was now undetectable and not transmittable. 'I thought my life was over' Speaking about his HIV-positive status publicly for the first time, Allan wants to challenge the stigma around it."I can understand some of the ignorance, because I myself was ignorant until I got it and I learned a little bit more about it", he said."Initially it affected me a lot because I isolated and I thought my life was over."But now he said the virus has minimal impact on his life, and only crosses his mind when he takes his said: "It's the people that don't know they've got HIV that are the ones that pass it around, unknowingly."Once you know then you can do something about it. Why would you not want to know?" The scheme has also been expanded to other hospitals across the south, including Southampton General Hospital, Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital, and Queen Alexandra Hospital in can opt-out of the additional checks by telling a member of A&E RBH consultant physician Dr Alan Tang hopes most will realise the benefits of having their HIV status checked for free and confidentially."I think people are not diagnosed partly because they think they are low risk or have no risk at all," he said."So we looking at people who have no idea they could have been HIV infected, and therefore they could pass it on and become sick." Rise in heterosexual referrals The most recent NHS data, from 2023, showed a 15% rise in HIV cases across England, up from 2,451 to 2, Macadam, CEO of Thames Valley Positive Support, expects the A&E testing will lead to an increase in demand for the Slough-based HIV charity."We're aware that more people will be diagnosed with HIV and therefore more people will need our support," she said."The highest rise in new referrals for us, is heterosexual people - that's the biggest group that we see coming through our doors in need of support having been diagnosed." Consultant microbiologist at RBH, Dr George Jacob, said even though HIV was not curable, it was very treatable with early detection and diagnosis."With HIV and hepatitis B, there's very good anti-viral treatment available that can suppress the disease, enable patients with the infection to live long, productive lives, with very limited complications," he government said it wants to end new HIV transmissions in England by 2030. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
