Optometrist Advises On Regular Eye Test—An optometrist, Dr Chika Ugagu, has advised members of the public to go for regular eye test to avoid irreversible blindness caused by glaucoma.
Ugagu, who gave the advice in an interview with the Newsmen on Monday in Jos, said that they must not wait for the signs of glaucoma before going for test.
Glaucoma is a disease that destroys the optic nerve (a part of the eye that supplies information from the eye balls to the brain).
She said that this occurred when fluid begins to build up in the nerve without been drained, adding that when this occurred the optic nerves begins to die and do not regenerate leading to blindness.
Ugagu said that glaucoma starts from eroding the peripheral vision (takes away the vision of an individual starting from the side view).
She said this makes it difficult for the individual to notice it before it closes up on the central vision of the individual.
She said that glaucoma does not show any sign until it had taken away about 70 per cent of an individual’s vision.
The optometrist said that anybody could be infected; however she said some persons were more susceptible to the disease.
She said that those above 60 years, hypertensive, diabetic, with history of eye trauma and with a genetic history of the disease were more susceptible to the disease.
Ugagu said that children could be delivered with glaucoma, when the drainage in the eye of the child has a problem.
“The child can develop glaucoma as fluid builds up in the eyeball and the pressure leads to the destruction of the optic nerve,” she said.
The optometrist said that glaucoma doesn’t have a cure but it can only be managed.
She advised that it was important to have a comprehensive eye check at least once in a year to detect glaucoma and other eye ailments .
She said that early detection was the best strategy to fight glaucoma, adding that if detected early, the individual would be placed on eye drops to help control the production of fluid in the eyeball.
The optometrist said this would help increase the drainage so that the pressure does not build up in the eyeball.
She said that surgery was an option to help enhance drainage and relieve the buildup of pressure in the eye ball.
Ugagu advised people who already have the disease to adhere strictly to routine medication and visit the doctor monthly for eye pressure check
