Don’t patronise unqualified eye care providers
An optometrist at the Robert and Sons Optical Service, Dr Ellis Quarcoo, has cautioned the public to be mindful of where they seek optical medical care since a wrong medication could lead to numerous medical risks.
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He said some medical risks included redness and irritation of the eye, headaches, burning sensation, teary eyes and in worst cases permanent loss of vision.
Dr Quarcoo, in an interview with The Mirror, noted that diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and even AIDS can sometimes be detected when a proper eye screening is done.
“Beyond just testing for lenses, professional optometrists look into how healthy the eye is, examine systemic conditions that manifest in the eye and give the appropriate optical or medical solution,” he explained.
Dr Quarcoo said causes of eye problems are not always optic related, as in some cases the actual cause could be due to a health factor such as a tumour in the brain, a problem with the optical nerves of the eye or the brain itself.
He noted that glasses were not the only solution to an eye problem, since some solutions could be through the use of eye drops, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and surgery in extreme cases.
However, he stated that unprofessional opticians, due to monetary gains , lack of ethics and the quest to dispose off their stock, sold wrong medicated glasses to people.
Lack of regulatory body
Touching on the reasons why such unprofessionals operate freely, he attributed the situation to the absence of a regulatory body such as an optometry council as pertains in other countries to regulate the operations of eye care services.
Dr Quarcoo said this had allowed people with no or less training to provide eye care services and appealed to the relevant authorities to work towards clearing such wayside optometrists and those who operate in ‘tent-like’ structures.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle
Dr Quarcoo encouraged the public to be proactive in prioritising the health of their eye, detecting and reporting any symptom of disorder in the eye so diagnosis and treatment can be given.
He said fruits and, vegetables should be part of one’s daily meals as they contain the necessary vitamins to keep the eye healthy.
Dr Quarcoo dispelled the notion that wearing medicated spectacles completely healed whatever problem that was associated with the eye.
He said eye glasses only provided a clearer vision and comfort from headaches resulting from straining the eye overtime.
He also explained that the perception such as sitting close to the television, reading in the dark and wearing glasses for a long time weaken the eye is not true, adding that rather, the eye only weakens when too much stress is exerted on the muscles of the eye.
“It has to do with the amount of light and stress the eye can adapt to and not necessarily the activity a person is involved in,” he explained.
