Prime
At 40, everyone should have an eye check up
Eye protection: A woman putting on sunglasses. Dr. Ruy CillasyTumwesigye advises people to always put on sunglasses more especially in areas with bright light conditions. PHOTOS BY EDGAR R. BATTE AND STELLA NAKAKANDE.
What you need to know:
Dr. Ruy Cillasy Tumwesigye, is an ophthalmologist, eye specialist, with Mulago Hospital.Stella Nakakande interviewed him about issues pertaining to eyes
What does one eat for healthy eyes?
Eat foods that contain Vitamins A and C, and nutrients called lutein and Xeathancin. They boost the general health and functioning of eyes. These are foods like carrots, green leafy vegetables, fruits like oranges and avocados. If you eat a balanced diet, you will get all the nutrients you need for the eye.
How often should we then wash our eyes and what should we use to wash them?
At least twice a day, when we wake up and before we sleep. In the morning we wash away any discharge that may have accumulated overnight, and in evening the dirt trapped by the eyes during the day.
It is important to wash with soap which removes the dirt.
What causes eye allergies and who is prone to them?
Allergies are caused by reaction of the body to a foreign substance, called an allergen. This is genetically predetermined.
Eye allergies will occur when an allergen to which the person is reactive gets on to the eye.
What are the examples of these allergens?
Pollen from flowers, dust and animal fur, which are carried by wind. The eye reacts by becoming itchy, having a discharge (whitish –mucous like), and a brownish red colour developing.
It can involve the nose or even the chest.
How often should we have our eyes checked?
This varies according to the individual. If one has diabetes mellitus, they may need frequent eye examination that is, at least every two months.
Pre-school children need a check to examine for refractive errors (short, long sightedness).
At the age of 40, everyone should have an eye check up to detect some of the age related blinding eye diseases. They usually start without any pain or reduction of your vision.
What are these diseases?
The commonest is glaucoma, an eye disease that affects the optic nerve which sends messages to brain and leads to eventual sight loss. If you have close relatives with or who had blinding eye diseases, have an early eye check -up as some conditions are familial.
How does one know they have a problem with their eyes?
This will depend on the type of problem. Those that will bring someone rushing to the doctor are usually painful eyes or redness, or poor/loss of vision or swelling.
Some conditions can only be detected early when you visit the doctor otherwise, they will present later when vision is already lost irreversibly.
What is the difference between an eye disease and a defect?
An eye disease may be taken to be one that arises from infections, tumours or genetic conditions.
An eye defect generally refers to a refractive error that needs correction with lenses. These differences are not exclusive as some conditions will fall either way or in both. Which medicines have side effects on the eyes?
All medicines can have side effects on the eyes especially if wrongly used to inappropriately treat a condition. This will most likely happen with self medication and treatment by incompetent personnel, one such example being medicines called corticosteroids.
Do not use traditional eye medication as this is generally a recipe for losing your vision because it is corrosive to the eye.
Do not use urine either because this may carry infections and corrode eyes too.
If the old people are prone to cataracts, what eye disease or defect are the younger people prone to?
Young people are more at risk of getting traumatic eye injuries due to their active nature. They also get conjunctivitis though not necessarily more than the old people.
There are some cancers which are common in the young generation but these are more related to their immune status as related to HIV/Aids.
What eye defects can be helped with contact lenses?
Contact lenses correct the same defects like the spectacles, short and long-sightedness, that is.
The difference is that the contacts are placed on the cornea of the eye. They may not be very suitable for our dusty, windy and hot conditions though.
How should one take care of their glasses?
The glasses should be kept clean, in a place where they cannot be broken when they are not being worn. If placed on a surface, the lenses should not be in contact with that surface otherwise, they will be scratched leading to the lenses being foggy and hence poor vision.
In addition, use two hands to remove them from the face to avoid them getting sheared, which affects positioning of the lens thus giving poor sight.
How useful are sunglasses to an ordinary Ugandan?
These are useful in conditions of very bright light which can be very uncomfortable to some people.
Buy sunglasses from an optical shop and get advice on the Ultra Violet (rays of light) protection offered by the pair you are buying.
What practices do we do that end up costing us our sight?
Failure to have an early eye check up saying, “I have no pain and can see well so I am okay.” This is even worse when one has a familiar history of blindness, bad eating habits which can lead to diabetes mellitus and engages in self medication with drugs that can damage the eyes irreversibly.
Is it okay for everyone to use eye cosmetics or eye makeup and in any case, how does one know what is not suitable for them?
Cosmetics contain several chemical components and should be tailored to individuals. What works for A may cause a reaction to B. Always look out for any unwanted changes that may occur if you use a new cosmetic and make sure the cosmetics do not get into your eyes.
What is the one piece of information that Ugandans should know about eye health?
Take very good care of your eyes by having a check with an eye specialist. You may lose vision and find there is no remedy when you could have prevented it.
Those who have lost vision and regained it appreciate the gift of sight. The rest of us take it for granted.
