Eyes are valuable assets: yearly checkup is important
Kaniz Fatima | Sunday, 31 August 2008
IT was a hot and humid day in 2007 when Auntu got back home from school. He looked exhausted and was sweating.
"What's wrong?" asks Auntu's mother. "Mom, I was punished in the class. My teacher made me stand up outside the classroom in sunlight as I could not read a question in the blackboard. Mom, I couldn't see anything clearly from distance."
Auntu's mother Rasheda Begum realises that his 12-year-old boy is suffering from eyesight problem and took him to doctor who prescribed him glasses of -2.75.
Auntu, a student of class seven, turns on TV as soon as he gets back home from school and sits very close to it. He glues to it until his mother rebukes him.
Rasheda Begum says, "I never thought watching TV from a very close distance was harming my boy's eyesight. I never took it seriously. I should have been more careful."
Prof Dr MS Zuaha, an ophthalmologist and ex-Registrar of Bristol Eye Hospital UK, says, "When a child watches TV from a very close distance, the parents should consult doctors because it's a symptom of Myopia.
If anybody watches TV from a very close distance for a long time, it obviously harms his or her eyesight, no matter whether he is a child or adult."
Another ophthalmologist, Dr. Abdul Khaleque of Dhaka Community Hospital, says, "Not only children but also adults should be careful about their eyes because it is our most valuable asset. Problem with vision develops when one gets older, but we can protect our eyesight for a long time if we can be cautious a little bit."
He says, "You have to protect your eyes from sunlight because it's very harmful."
According to Prof Ian Grierson at the Ophthalmic Department of Liverpool University, "The eye lens is continuously bombarded with light that contains damaging free radicals and over time these will inevitably destroy the lens, but you can slow down or even prevent that process."
Exposing one's eyes too much to direct sunlight also causes lens irritation. Researchers from the French Institute of Health and Medical Research found that people who are exposed to high levels of sunlight are up to four times more likely to develop cataracts.
Prof Grierson recommends that people should invest in good quality sunglasses and avoid direct sun exposure at midday.
He says, "You have to protect your eyes from computer because spending a lot of time in front of a computer screen can damage the muscles in your eyes. This can lead to eye strain or eye fatigue. As a result, some symptoms -- difficulty focusing (blurred vision), double vision (diplopia), headache, soreness and eye dryness -- can develop."
Prof Grirson says, "If you work at a computer, take a break every 20 to 30 minutes and try looking into the distance for a few seconds every 15 minutes because the eye is a muscle and needs exercising."
He says one needs to check the lighting levels around his or her PC. Inadequate lighting forces one's eyes to maintain accurate focus. The eyes do this automatically, but the muscle tires. For these you have to make sure that your workstation is not facing a bright window or light source. Anti-glare devices can also be useful.
Prof Grierson says: "One has to protect his or her eyes from smoky environment as smoky environment can irritate the eyes' delicate membranes. If you can't avoid smoke, make sure you keep your eyes moist with eyewash or eye drops."
Contact lens wearers can be particularly vulnerable to infections such as conjunctivitis. If lenses are not cleaned thoroughly, they can introduce bacteria into the eyes and create a buildup of protein deposits that will irritate the cornea.
Prof Grierson also suggests that one should not wear lenses all day long everyday. "Take them off for an hour or more during the day or in the evening so oxygen can get into the eyes. Refrain from wearing your glasses for a day to give your eyes a break."
Besides, makeup could be harmful to one's eyes.
According to Dr Abdul Khaleque, "most makeup won't harm your eyes if used properly, but some people's eyes can be sensitive to certain types. Sometimes beauty products can harbour bacteria that lead to infection."
He says. "The general consensus among beauty experts is that you should change your mascara every three months."
Smoking and alcohol are also harmful to one's eyes. "An unhealthy lifestyle may also take its toll on your eyes, in much the same way it does on the rest of your body," says Dr MS Zuha.
He says. "Anything that slows down the healthy circulation of the blood, from smoking to drinking too much alcohol, can damage your eyes."
Diet can play its part in eye health. Experts agree on the importance of vitamin A, chromium and zinc.
These can be found in a balanced diet full of fresh fruit and leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach.
"There are several foods that can help," adds Prof Grierson. "Lutein is absolutely vital for eye health because it protects the photoreceptors in the lens."
Grierson says, "We don't produce it naturally so we have to get it from what we eat. All colourful vegetables and fruits contain high levels of lutein, but especially yellow foods like yellow pepper and green ones like spinach."
A diet low in refined sugars could also help keep your vision sharp. A research article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that a low GI diet one that steered clear of sugary foods is linked to better eyesight in old age.
Most importantly, to keep one's eyes healthy he or she needs to undergo eye checkups every year.
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"What's wrong?" asks Auntu's mother. "Mom, I was punished in the class. My teacher made me stand up outside the classroom in sunlight as I could not read a question in the blackboard. Mom, I couldn't see anything clearly from distance."
Auntu's mother Rasheda Begum realises that his 12-year-old boy is suffering from eyesight problem and took him to doctor who prescribed him glasses of -2.75.
Auntu, a student of class seven, turns on TV as soon as he gets back home from school and sits very close to it. He glues to it until his mother rebukes him.
Rasheda Begum says, "I never thought watching TV from a very close distance was harming my boy's eyesight. I never took it seriously. I should have been more careful."
Prof Dr MS Zuaha, an ophthalmologist and ex-Registrar of Bristol Eye Hospital UK, says, "When a child watches TV from a very close distance, the parents should consult doctors because it's a symptom of Myopia.
If anybody watches TV from a very close distance for a long time, it obviously harms his or her eyesight, no matter whether he is a child or adult."
Another ophthalmologist, Dr. Abdul Khaleque of Dhaka Community Hospital, says, "Not only children but also adults should be careful about their eyes because it is our most valuable asset. Problem with vision develops when one gets older, but we can protect our eyesight for a long time if we can be cautious a little bit."
He says, "You have to protect your eyes from sunlight because it's very harmful."
According to Prof Ian Grierson at the Ophthalmic Department of Liverpool University, "The eye lens is continuously bombarded with light that contains damaging free radicals and over time these will inevitably destroy the lens, but you can slow down or even prevent that process."
Exposing one's eyes too much to direct sunlight also causes lens irritation. Researchers from the French Institute of Health and Medical Research found that people who are exposed to high levels of sunlight are up to four times more likely to develop cataracts.
Prof Grierson recommends that people should invest in good quality sunglasses and avoid direct sun exposure at midday.
He says, "You have to protect your eyes from computer because spending a lot of time in front of a computer screen can damage the muscles in your eyes. This can lead to eye strain or eye fatigue. As a result, some symptoms -- difficulty focusing (blurred vision), double vision (diplopia), headache, soreness and eye dryness -- can develop."
Prof Grirson says, "If you work at a computer, take a break every 20 to 30 minutes and try looking into the distance for a few seconds every 15 minutes because the eye is a muscle and needs exercising."
He says one needs to check the lighting levels around his or her PC. Inadequate lighting forces one's eyes to maintain accurate focus. The eyes do this automatically, but the muscle tires. For these you have to make sure that your workstation is not facing a bright window or light source. Anti-glare devices can also be useful.
Prof Grierson says: "One has to protect his or her eyes from smoky environment as smoky environment can irritate the eyes' delicate membranes. If you can't avoid smoke, make sure you keep your eyes moist with eyewash or eye drops."
Contact lens wearers can be particularly vulnerable to infections such as conjunctivitis. If lenses are not cleaned thoroughly, they can introduce bacteria into the eyes and create a buildup of protein deposits that will irritate the cornea.
Prof Grierson also suggests that one should not wear lenses all day long everyday. "Take them off for an hour or more during the day or in the evening so oxygen can get into the eyes. Refrain from wearing your glasses for a day to give your eyes a break."
Besides, makeup could be harmful to one's eyes.
According to Dr Abdul Khaleque, "most makeup won't harm your eyes if used properly, but some people's eyes can be sensitive to certain types. Sometimes beauty products can harbour bacteria that lead to infection."
He says. "The general consensus among beauty experts is that you should change your mascara every three months."
Smoking and alcohol are also harmful to one's eyes. "An unhealthy lifestyle may also take its toll on your eyes, in much the same way it does on the rest of your body," says Dr MS Zuha.
He says. "Anything that slows down the healthy circulation of the blood, from smoking to drinking too much alcohol, can damage your eyes."
Diet can play its part in eye health. Experts agree on the importance of vitamin A, chromium and zinc.
These can be found in a balanced diet full of fresh fruit and leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach.
"There are several foods that can help," adds Prof Grierson. "Lutein is absolutely vital for eye health because it protects the photoreceptors in the lens."
Grierson says, "We don't produce it naturally so we have to get it from what we eat. All colourful vegetables and fruits contain high levels of lutein, but especially yellow foods like yellow pepper and green ones like spinach."
A diet low in refined sugars could also help keep your vision sharp. A research article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that a low GI diet one that steered clear of sugary foods is linked to better eyesight in old age.
Most importantly, to keep one's eyes healthy he or she needs to undergo eye checkups every year.
News Network