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Teen's Cold Leads to Brain Surgery After Eye Infection

Summary

  • A common cold escalated into a deadly eye infection requiring emergency neurosurgery.
  • A 17-year-old experienced severe headaches and a bulging eye before diagnosis.
  • Doctors discovered the infection spreading to the teen's brain, risking meningitis.
Teen's Cold Leads to Brain Surgery After Eye Infection

A teenage pharmacy assistant nearly lost her life after a common cold developed into a severe eye infection and spread to her brain, requiring emergency neurosurgery. The 17-year-old suffered from persistent headaches for a month before waking with a severely swollen and bulging eye. Despite initial antibiotic treatment, her condition deteriorated, causing extreme pain and vision loss.

Diagnosed with orbital cellulitis, doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital and The Royal London Hospital found the infection had infiltrated her brain, posing a significant risk of meningitis. This critical development led to urgent nine-hour brain surgery, involving the removal of a portion of her skull to clear the infection.

Following a miraculous recovery in intensive care, the teenager is now urging others to take seemingly minor infections seriously. Her experience highlights the potential dangers of sinus infections, emphasizing the importance of seeking medical attention promptly for unusual symptoms, even those stemming from a simple cold.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.
Yes, a cold can lead to sinus infections that may spread and cause serious eye and brain infections if not treated promptly.
Orbital cellulitis is a severe infection of the tissues around the eye, which can be life-threatening and lead to vision loss or brain complications.
Recovery times vary, but Sophie Bell made a 'miraculous recovery' after her nine-hour surgery and subsequent intensive care.

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