Using unprescribed medicated glass causes more damage to the eyes – Expert

Dr Wilson Ovienria, is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State. In this interview, he spoke on the causes of visual problems in the country and how blindness can be red

What are the common eye problems in the country?

The common eye problems are still those problems that have been in existence. However, the commonest cause of loss of vision and visual impairment are cataract, refractive errors, glaucoma and corneal blindness.

Others include agedrelated macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy occasioned by uncontrolled diabetes and hypertensive retinopathy from uncontrolled hypertension. Trauma to eye which can cause corneal opacity is common amongst the younger age groups.

Those are some of the common eye problems or causes of reduced vision in our society.

Aged-related macular degeneration, diabetic and hypertensive retinopathies are common in the developed world as compared to cataract and glaucoma in the developing world.

How can addressed? these problems be

Irrespective of the case, the easiest way to address any eye problem is to see a doctor. The moment you notice a problem with your vision, you should ideally see an eye doctor.

It is advised that you have an eye check at least once in 12 months even when nothing seems to be wrong. The primary eye doctor is the ophthalmologist and he has the capacity to find out what the problem is and advice appropriately.

However, there are other eye care professionals that are useful like the optometrist, trained to detect visual problems by carrying out refraction and correcting them using spectacles. They are knowledgeable enough to know what the problem is and if it is a refractive case, they will recommend lenses and if otherwise, they will refer the patient to the ophthalmologist.

So the best way for an individual to address his eye problem is to see an eye doctor. Even if an eye doctor doesn’t exist in an environment, patients should see a qualified medical doctor who would know the appropriate person to refer them to or advise appropriately.

What is the role of government in this?

On a general note, some eye problems are becoming significant enough for the government to consider them public health issues. In that case, government needs to step in and play a role by organising and financing eye screening exercises so that individuals can have their eyes checked in order to detect the eye problems early because they are better tackled or taken care of when they are detected and addressed early.

There are lots of people living with eye problems with solutions, especially those who have cataract blindness but do not have the financial capacity to seek care for it. I think government can look into that and see how it can finance free surgeries for such people to reduce the burden of blindness in our society.

One other major challenge is that eye care professionals are grossly inadequate. Therefore, efforts should be made by government to train more eye care professionals so that we can have more people attending to visual and eye problems.

Also, the professionals are not evenly distributed as most of them are located in the big cities. Government should make rural areas more attractive so that eye care professionals can undertake to work there where the problem is not only much more, but money to undertake treatment is lacking.

It can also make a law that will make it possible for people who have visual problems to be able to access care at reduced costs so as to reduce the burden of blindness in the country.

Many people still patronise quacks for eye glasses, what are the likely effects?

This is a major problem in our society. People tend to look for short cut just the same way people go to chemists or pharmacies without first seeing a doctor. Patronising glass sellers is one of the mistakes people make because the sellers don’t take into consideration the real refractive status of the eyes.

Most people have gone to pick the wrong glasses that ended up giving them more problems. Even if the problem is refractive error, the person who is properly trained, whether ophthalmologist or optometrist, would be able to do a proper job and prescribe the right lenses which should take care of the problem.

It is dangerous for anybody to patronise quack eye glass sellers as it can only cause more damage to the eyes.