Most people who have eye problems detest going to see a doctor for it. They fear that the physician may recommend eye glasses for them.
In fact, they would rather postpone hospital visit till it becomes an emergency. Yet, eye care specialists warn that delay in treating eye problems can be dangerous. They also say that the solution to eye problems may not necessarily entail wearing recommended glasses.
Some eye cases are so serious that they may require surgery, else you may lose your vision. But the truth is, nobody wants to go blind. The eyes make our life beautiful and colourful; and it goes without saying that it is dangerous to allow any harm to afflict your eyes because of carelessness.
The eye is the tiniest organ in the body, yet one of the mightiest in power. It plays a major role in one’s ability to read, learn and understand is an obvious understatement.
Try moving around with a blindfold for a few minutes, and you will appreciate the cliché that the eye is the lamp of the body.
Experts say that 60 per cent of our emotions – including our thoughts and actions – are informed by what we see. Sad to say, while we all don’t want to become blind, how some people treat their eyes leaves much to be desired.
According to experts, eye problems are one of the major four health challenges that are often detected or treated late in the country.
Many people reading this article have been told by their doctors that they need to wear recommended glasses to correct their vision, but very few take to this advice. Why? They don’t like how they look in glasses and feel it deducts from their facial aesthetics or hides their features.
Granted, glasses can be a bore at times because you have to put them on and off. For instance, you can’t run or engage in some sporting activities while you have them on. But the question is, would you rather look good and go blind than wear glasses?
Ophthalmologists (eye specialists) note that many suffer vision problems, yet they shrug it off because they do not want to do the needful. Consultant ophthalmologist, Dr. John Otaigbe, says most people wait till the damage to their eye(s) becomes irreparable before they visit the hospital to complain.
Otaigbe warns that individuals that delay seeking help for eye problems are prone to fatal accidents, blurred vision, partial blindness, cataract, Dry Eye Syndrome and blindness.
The specialist notes that even though one’s vision diminishes with age, one should quickly pick on symptoms that suggest that the eye is not functioning as it should at whatever age.
Otaigbe states that if you have been getting frequent headaches or migraine that won’t respond to over-the-counter pain relief medication, it’s time to see a specialist.
“As you grow older, your vision may not be as sharp as it used to be, but that does not mean you should dismiss symptoms that suggest that you are having serious eye problems.
“If you have to hold your book close to your nose before you can read it, or if you have to hold it at an abnormal distance before you can focus on it, then there is a problem and that is not old age.
“If you find yourself getting headaches and your eyes are tired after trying to focus on an up-close object, this could be your body’s way of telling you that your eyes are strained and you need reading glasses. As soon as you notice that your eyesight is changing, it’s time to have an eye exam,” Otaigbe counsels.
He says many people are living with disabilities and other life-long injuries just because they failed to get their eyes checked and vision corrected.
Otaigbe says statistics shows that 30 per cent of road accidents occurred because the drivers had vision problems that were not corrected. He adds that those who suffer vision problems and fail to get help pose a danger to themselves, their families and other road users.
“Driving without glasses when you need one is as bad as driving while you are drunk. It is a punishable offence under the law when you are found liable.
“Many have died or killed others because they had vision problems and they failed to get it treated just because they did not want to wear glasses,” Otaigbe laments.
Consultant ophthalmologist with the Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Dr. Omodele Jagun, observes that not only do the majority of the people who have challenges with their vision delay seeking treatment, they also practise self medication or go to unqualified persons for treatment.
“What we notice is that many will just go to the chemist to buy eye drops or go to an optician to get glasses; but by the time they continue to change the glasses and the condition does not get better, that is when they see a specialist.
“When you have an eye problem, go to the hospital to see an ophthalmologist, not an optician. Opticians are only meant to sell glasses recommended by an expert and not to treat eye problems.
“The eye would have deteriorated and, sometimes, it’s too late for us to intervene. Blindness does not happen overnight; eye diseases do not manifest overnight. They can be caught early when you do the right thing,” Jagun warns.
To prevent being caught unawares, Jagun recommends that one must go for eye test at least once a year. She counsels, “Even if you have never had any problem with your eye or vision, once you are 40, you must go for eye test every year.”
BY: BUKOLA ADEBAYO
THE PUNCH
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