Preventing Blindness Through Effective Eye – Care

Medical experts
say that blindness can be avoided through effective care of the eye. They also warn that people who have eye problems and pay less attention to them may go blind.
According to them, many people ought not to have gone blind if they were aware of the causes of blindness.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that more than 80 per cent of blindness and visual impairment is either preventable or treatable, adding that saving one’s sight can be as simple as getting an eye test.
Regrettable, however, the WHO notes that a person in the world becomes blind every five seconds, while a child is blinded every minute.
Dr Muhamoud Chiroma, an ophthalmologist at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, says the prevalence rate of blindness in Nigeria is 0.8 per cent.
He notes that the rate is more in adults than children, and cautions that no eye ailment should be considered insignificant.
Experts say that cataracts,  clouding of the lenses in the eyes, river blindness and glaucoma,  the infection of the eye’s optic nerve, among others, are the leading causes of blindness.
Other causes, they say, include eye injuries sustained by children, measles infection, vitamin A deficiency and congenital cataract.
They observe further that early symptoms of blindness include not being able to see well at night, double vision and frequent prescription changes of eye glasses, among others.
“Therefore, individuals who have eye problems should immediately seek medical help from eye doctors, and not patronise quacks since delay in getting appropriate care can lead to permanent visual disability,’’ Chiroma advised.
To promote universal eye health coverage and reduce levels of avoidable blindness, October 10, 2013 is recognised as the World Sight Day with the theme: “Universal Eye Health’’.
The day is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness under the Vision 2020 Global Initiative.
Analysts insist that preventing blindness should be key to Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020, and is in tune with global goal for eliminating avoidable blindness and low vision by 2020.
To achieve the objective, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, Executive Secretary of FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, wants eye health programmes to be extended to primary and secondary schools to prevent childhood blindness.
Mohammed notes that not having access to eye care delivery at the grassroots is a major challenge to preventable blindness.
Sharing Mohammed’s view, Dr Anne Ebri, Sub-Regional Manager, West African Branch for Brien Holden Vision Institute in Lagos, says most Nigerians, especially those in the rural areas, are not informed about the causes of blindness.
Ebri advises that people at the grassroots should be educated on the need to present their eye problems or that of their relations early to prevent blindness.
“For a young child, vision is not usually clear at birth; but as the child progresses to six months, if you try to establish eye contact, you will find that a child with an eye problem will probably look elsewhere.
“Also, if you try to give a child food and he is not responding, or you find that the child when able to walk is constantly running into objects; these incidents should not be ignored,’’ she observed.
Dr Kingsley Ekemiri, an optometrist at Living Faith Health Clinic, Abuja, notes children’s poor performance in school could be associated with their eyes.
He says that eye problems can be managed by eating carrots, water melon, stockfish and fresh fish for their nutrient contents.
“Nutrient is a very important component of our vision in the sense that when we eat properly, we tend to improve our vision.
“Basically, carrot has what is called carotene, a very important component of the retina; when you eat a lot of carrots, it tends to improve the immunity and health of your retina that makes you see much better.
“Stockfish and also fresh fish are very important nutrients for your vision; so also is red oil which is palm oil because it contains retinol,’’ he said.
He, however, advises people to desist from frying red palm oil so as not to destroy the nutrients that aid vision, and warned against using local herbs to treat eye infections.
Ekemiri suggests that government should organise eye care programmes in schools to address eye problems in children.
In the same vein, Ms Yemisi Olowookere, a dietician at the Garki Hospital, Abuja, notes that insufficient vitamin A in food can cause blindness.
Olowookere names foods containing vitamin A to include liver, cod liver fish oil, carrots, yam, pumpkin, squash, leafy green vegetables, apricot and pawpaw.
Others, according to her, are red pepper, chilli powder, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes and dried herbs.
Nonetheless, she cautions that excessive consumption of vitamin A can also result in jaundice, nausea, loss of appetite, irritability, vomiting and hair loss, advising that the food should be taken with moderation.
For further precaution against blindness, Dr Regina Morgan, an ophthalmologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, advises users of contact lenses to be careful as improper use may result in blindness.
She says that proper attention should be given to wearing, removal and care of the lenses to avoid damage to the eyes.
Morgan says that wrong use of lenses can also cause damage to the cornea, the black part of the eye, cause redness, discharge, discolouration, itching and dryness.
However, observers and medical experts believe that the celebration of the World Sight Day in Nigeria should include advocacy for governments at all levels to pay more attention to eye-related health challenges in order to reduce blindness.
Nwachukwu writes  for NAN.

Jacinta Nwachukwu

An old man testing his sight at Adeoyo hospital during World Sight Day celebration in Ibadan, recently Photo: NAN