BBC GP warns people not to dismiss common symptom after her 'shock' diagnosis

A doctor has warned people not to dismiss any symptoms after she was diagnosed with a common condition. Talking on BBC Morning Live, the GP shared her own experience of cataracts.

She said she was "shocked" after being diagnosed. Noticing her first symptoms on holiday, the doctor assumed her sunglasses were dirty, this was not the case.

Dr Helen Wall, who is also a resident GP on the show, explained: "Cataracts is basically a clouding of the lens in the eye which is a small, transparent disc - or at least it should be transparent. What happens with cataracts is that over time, it can become cloudy or misty."

"When we are young, our lens is like looking through a clear window, but when you start to get cataracts, that can become very misty, more like a bathroom window. It can be quite difficult for people because it can affect things like driving, and doing their normal day to day activities as it progresses, so it is something to be aware of."

There are "clear driving regulations that you need to meet on the DVLA website" she stressed, adding: "People with cataracts can drive. But they need to be clear about how severe their cataracts and how much it affects them."

Talking about her own diagnosis, she recalled: "I was told that I've got cataracts because I'm very short sighted and my prescription is minus 11 - which is quite significant." When asked what her experience is like with the condition, she said: "I've had poor vision most of my life. I remember being in primary school and struggling to see very clearly and through time it's got worse and worse."

While she mentions that her vision can be corrected with contacts or glasses, she remembered that things changed about 18 months ago. She said: "I started to feel like things were misting up.

"When I was on holiday, I was taking my sunglasses off and kept wiping them thinking 'things are just not as clear as they should be, there's sunscreen on these'. Actually it was my vision deteriorating."

She added: "When I got to the optician for my regular review, I was quite shocked to be told that I had early cataracts. I consider myself very young, I was shocked at that, even as a GP because it's not something you think about. You think about it in old people."

Do I need to tell the DVLA if I have cataracts?

According to the official DVLA website : "You need to tell DVLA about some medical conditions as they can affect your driving". If you don't do this, they warn that you can be fined up to £1,000 if you don't tell them that your medical condition affects your driving.

You can check here with their online tool if a health condition affects your driving. There is a different way to report your health condition if you live in Northern Ireland. There is also a service available in Welsh (Cymraeg).