How well are you taking care of your eyes?
An elderly woman (above) has her eyes checked at Mulago hospital recently. Photo by Rachel Mabala.
What you need to know:
The eyes play an important function in our lives. In fact, surveys have shown that of the five senses that human beings have, sight is the one which people fear losing most. How much effort, therefore, do we put to keep the eyes healthy and free of infections?
Last month, Dirisa Kakumba, 65, from Masaka developed a corneal ulcer in his right eye. The condition presents with the cornea turning opaque, and producing a milk-like discharge. He says he woke up one day, and discovered his eye had developed the condition.
Kakumba sought medical care at Mulago hospital after he failed to get proper treatment in Masaka.
Dr Jacob Ntende, an ophthalmologist at Mulago hospital’s Eye Department explains that Kakumba suffered trauma, which left an opening in the eye that made it easy for germs to enter and cause an infection.
Dr Ntende says this particular infection can be caused by a virus, fungi, bacteria and protozoa, and treatment depends on the type of germ that has caused the ulcer. He, however, notes that even when the ulcer is treated, it will leave a scar which can potentially impair vision.
“The only way to completely remove the scar is by undergoing a cornea transplant which is costly because one has to import the cornea tissue from Nairobi,” says Dr Ntende.
The cornea could cost upwards of $2,000 (Shs5m).
Common but serious eye infections
Corneal ulcer is just one of the many infections that can impair one’s eyesight. Doctors at the eye clinic at Mulago hospital say together with conjunctivitis, they present the most common eye infections reported at health facilities.
Conjunctivitis, like the corneal ulcer, can be caused by a virus, bacteria, fungi, or allergies and in each case, it presents differently. When caused by allergies, conjunctivitis presents as severe itching of the eyes, while painful eyes that are light sensitive are caused by a virus. Discharge from the eyes, as well as sticky eyes could indicate conjunctivitis caused by bacteria.
“These are germs that people pick from the environment. Some people pour urine in the eyes. This is very common. People think that by doing this, they are treating an eye infection, but this is just introducing bacteria into the eyes,” explained a nurse at the eye clinic.
In fact, Dr Ntende insists that people should never pour urine into their eyes. According to him, urine could contain the gono-coccal bacteria that are known to cause gonorrhea, which eats away at the cornea, thereby causing permanent blindness.
Trachoma
Dr Ntende cites trachoma as another common eye infection. Trachoma is caused by germs carried by houseflies. This is a common eye condition especially for people who live in areas with poor sanitation, poor waste disposal or no clean water.
Simple cost effective interventions such as observing proper hygiene, ensuring good waste disposal, proper use of pit latrines are key to preventing trachoma. Dr Ntende recommends immediate medical attention if the infection intensifies.
Eye trauma
He says that trauma to the eyes, especially in children can also lead to blindness. Hajjara Nakitto, a 17-year-old girl from Kawempe suffered such trauma when her cousin beat her with a stick on her right eye. At the time, she was three years old.
Nakitto says that even though she sought treatment, it did not help her and now she has become blind in one eye.
“Injuries in children can lead to blindness especially if significant damage has been done to the eye. The problem is that the eye has no spare parts,”says Dr Ntende.
Glaucoma
Dr Ntende explains that glaucoma is another common condition that can impair vision.
Glaucoma, is a condition in which a lot of pressure is inserted on the eyes, which leads to pain, frontal headache and blurry vision. The pressure on the eyes stretches the retina, and kills eye nerves.
With this condition, doctors say the peripheral (side) vision is usually the first to be impaired. Dr Ntende recommends immediate medical attention for this infection to be managed.
Cataracts
These are common eye infections, especially among elderly people. Cataracts are a milky substance that forms over the lens in the eye. As a result, the lens cannot properly refract light rays, leading to impaired vision, and sometimes blindness.
Dr Ntende however says that even children can get cataracts, also known as congenital cataracts, especially when they are still in the womb.
This can happen when the mothers indulge in drugs during pregnancy, or suffered from diseases such as measles or rubella. Dr Ntende says that cataracts can be fixed by a simple surgery in which the damaged lens is replaced by an artificial lens, but only if the retina is fully functional. A damaged retina will impair vision even if the damaged lens is replaced.
Dos and don’ts for your eyes
Dr Ntende says parents should always be observant and alert when it comes to their children’s eyesight.
He emphasises the importance of immediate medical care for children who have eye conditions such as squinting or congenital cataracts, so that their visual centres in the brain can develop normally.
“The visual centres located at the back of the brain develop in the first four years of birth, but more so in the first year. These centres help a person to differentiate colours,”he says.
He adds: “Mothers whose children have these conditions should immediately seek help otherwise the children’s visual centres may not develop, and they will become colour- blind.”
He also warns parents to watch out for their children’s eyes, especially at night, to establish if they are glowing, or if they have what he calls cat-like-reflexes. A glow could be a sign of cancer in the eyes but if detected early, the condition can be fixed.
Health workers recommend proper feeding and good nutrition, especially foods that are rich in Vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency medics say, causes cornea melting and ulcer.
However, foods such as liver, carrots, green pepper, and other vegetables will prevent this from happening.
Observing good hygiene will also keep eye infections at bay. Washing hands regularly with soap, using clean water to wash the eyes, ensuring proper disposal of all waste are good hygiene practices that doctors encourage, to keep a person’s eyes healthy.
Self-medication is also discouraged for people who may suspect that they have eye infections.
Instead, visiting a doctor as soon as possible will help the condition to be managed before it becomes serious and causes visual impairment or even blindness.
