They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. We do not know if that is true but what we do know is that having perfectly healthy eyes, excellent vision and clear eyes, free of pain or other symptoms are crucial to our health and well-being. It is estimated that more than 4 million Nigerians are visually impaired. Unlike HIV and other infectious diseases that affect everyone irrespective of their education level, conditions that can result in blindness preferentially affect the poor Nigerians who rarely visit hospitals that have eye health experts.
Part of the problem is the low number of ophthalmologists working in Nigeria-Just 300 for a population of almost 200 million, as at April 2020. This is according to the president of the Nigerian Medical Association. Among the causes of blindness, cataract has been identified as responsible for 43% of cases, followed by glaucoma at about 17%. Glaucoma has quietly become the leading cause of irreversible blindness in Nigeria. It is a condition involving damage to the optic nerve that can be stalled but not reversed. While many of these problems are relatively benign, such as mild nearsightedness other eye conditions like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration can trigger vision loss and even blindness.
Most common eye issues and problems
- Myopia (nearsightedness)
- Hyperopia (farsightedness)
- Astigmatisms (blurry vision)
- Presbyopia (an inability to focus on objects up close)
- Optic neuritis – an inflammation of the optic nerve
- Glaucoma
- Conjunctivitis
- Diabetic eye problems, such as diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema
- Cataracts
- Retinal diseases
- Macular degeneration
Some of the most common symptoms of eye diseases are:
- Blurriness
- Discharge
- Flashes of light
- Irritation
- Light sensitivity
- Pain
- Tearing
- Vision loss
How to keep your eyes healthy:
- Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam: Getting a dilated eye exam is simple and painless. It is the single best thing you can do for your eye health!
Even if your eyes feel healthy, you could have a problem and not know it. That’s because many eye diseases don’t have any symptoms or warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to check for many eye diseases early on, when they’re easier to treat.
- Taking care of your health: Protecting your overall health can go a long way towards keeping your eyes healthy! Keep in mind that healthy habits like eating well and being active can lower your risk for diseases and conditions that can lead to eye or vision problems, like diabetes or high blood pressure.
- Eat healthy foods: Be sure to have plenty of dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale and collard greens. Eat fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Wear sunglasses: Protect your eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses. Be sure to look for sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation.
- Give your eyes a rest: Looking at your computer for a long time can tire out your eyes.