Don’t overstress your eye, wearing glasses

Many have been told by their doctors that they need
to wear recommended glasses to correct their vision,
but very few have taken this advice. Why? Some
people 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.
The eye is a precious gift that must not be lost by
accident or through carelessness. One would think
that anythings that affects this tiny organ by which
we behold the many beautiful things of life would be
taken seriously, but that is often not the case.
Consultant ophthalmologist, Dr. John Otaigbe, says
most people wait till when 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 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 your
eyes are strained and you need reading glasses.
However, 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 states that statistics show that 30 per cent
of road accidents occur because the drivers had
vision problems that were not corrected.He adds
that those who suffer vision problems and fail to get
help posed 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 and 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.”
You may have problems focusing on objects or
experience blurry vision when you first start wearing
glasses or a change prescriptions, experts say this
feeling will pass after the first week.
If the regular eye glass is going to be a bother, lens
technology has made wearing glasses less
cumbersome and more attractive with the advent of
contact lenses.
They come in different eye shades of blue, brown
green and grey which makes wearing them a great
fashion statement!
Many of the common signs of eye diseases have
been highlighted by the experts, but just in case you
are not clear, if you have been running into objects
frequently this week, it is time to get your eyes
checked.