McFly's Tom Fletcher rushed to hospital with eye condition
McFly singer Tom Fletcher is being forced to spend Christmas in sunglasses after rushing to hospital with an eye condition.
Unfortunately the singer's accessorising isn't because he'll be sitting on a beach in the sunshine - instead he's set for 'dark rooms' after being diagnosed with uveitis.
The eye condition causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, resulting in eye pain and changes to vision.
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According to the NHS, most cases can get better with treatment which usually involves steroid medicine.
However, the condition can lead to further eye problems such as glaucoma and cataracts.
The sooner uveitis is treated, the more successful treatment is likely to be, the NHS explains.
Fletcher shared a picture of his swollen eye on Instagram along with an update about his condition, writing: "Sorry I’ve been quiet for a bit. I was wiped out with some sort of illness and in bed for a few days. I just got back on my feet yesterday and uveitis decided to kick me down again."
The singer said he was 'very grateful' to have been able to go to a dedicated eye A&E hospital in London, and revealed this wasn't the first time he'd paid a visit to the establishment.
He wrote: "It’s the 2nd time I’ve stumbled into that place holding my eyes and they’ve been amazing.
"Also, shout out to my amazing optician, Dipesh... who was giving me advice at nearly midnight last night. Hero!"
After speaking with doctors and his optician, the McFly and Strictly Come Dancing star was advised to stay in 'dark rooms', wear sunglasses and treat his condition with steroids for the next six weeks.
"Merry Christmas!" he ended the post, which also featured a picture of him wearing sunglasses.
The singer was flooded with kind messages from fans wishing him a speedy recovery, though his bandmate Harry Judd couldn't resist poking fun at Fletcher, writing: "That’s an elaborate excuse for pink eye."
Another, seemingly more concerned follower wrote: "Get well soon! Merry Christmas to you and your family."
A third wrote: "This sucks! Get better soon.
"I’ve had reoccurring uveitis for about 6 years now with no helpful suggestions or remedies it’s horrible. Lucky you got sorted so quickly."
Cases of uveitis are often linked to a problem with the immune system, though the condition can also be caused by an infection or an eye injury.
In some cases, a cause for the condition can't be identified at all.
Emily Brown