Naijagossiper

During the Sunday school class in a Pentecostal church two weeks ago , Tomiwa , 11 , was called upon by the coordinator of that session to read a verse in the Bible. Having been relaxed and certainly not expecting to be called , more so that there were many other Bible scholars around , she began to scramble for her eyeglasses .
Until her elder sister , who sat close to her , helped her to locate the eyeglasses , tucked somewhere in her bag , Tomiwa struggled to read the Bible passage, slowly, because she had to bring the Bible very close to her eyes , about five inches away . But when her sister located the eyeglasses and handed it over to her, she heaved a sigh of relief and began reading the passage with ease . And on a closer look, the thickness of the lenses would make it clear to anyone who bothered to look that it was beyond fashion .
In the past, like decades ago, the likes of Tomiwa had nothing to do with eyeglasses ; it wasn ’t for children, and if they were to wear any , they were mostly for fashion .
Back then , the elderly wear glasses more . In fact, wearing a pair of glasses was like a symbol of old age .
But these days , all age groups seem to wear eyeglasses as a corrective device , regardless of gender and age . And, like Tomiwa , many children now wear eyeglasses . But why is this ? Experts gave some reasons .
Birth influence : A consultant endocrinologist , Dr. Michael Olamoyegun , said apart from the fact that vision impairment could be hereditary , certain avoidable activities could be responsible for why more children now wear eyeglasses . He explained that there are certain drugs women should not take during pregnancy . If they take such drugs, he said they could cause vision impairment in the baby they are carrying . He added that in some cases , the effect of such drugs could go beyond impairment to cause outright blindness. He said , “That is why we always counsel that pregnant women should not take drugs that have not been prescribed by doctors , because some drugs could have adverse effect on the baby . The drug may not even be harmful to the woman, but to the child .”
Untreated STD as of delivery time : It has been said that sexually transmitted diseases have enormous negative effects including infertility , kidney problem , heart -related problems , itching and irritation of the genitals, but one other thing STDs could do is that if a pregnant woman has any , it could affect the baby she is carrying . Olamoyegun said , “When a pregnant woman has gonorrhea , we advise strongly that she gets it treated before her delivery date . This is because at the time of delivery , if the infection is still there and she ’s delivered of the baby through the normal birth canal , the baby , in the course of passage, could have his or her eyes affected , and that could later manifest in vision impairment . Usually , if the infection has not been completely treated as of the time of delivery , the woman could be delivered of her baby through Caeserean Section , just for the sake of the baby. So , that is another way children could contract such impairment .”
Meanwhile , findings showed that other STIs are risky to the baby , especially during childbirth because STIs are highly contagious . Genital herpes , which often manifest in sores around the vagina , is very contagious and it could affect the baby ’s eyes , while chlamydia , another STI , is said to have similar effect on the eyes of a baby if the mother had the infection at birth . Also , syphilis has been found to predispose children to vision impairment if their mother had it at their birth .
Perhaps this explains why parents are advised to make sure their children’s eyes are examined after birth .
Use of non - prescribed drugs : According to the endocrinologist , one of the things that impair children’s vision is the use of certain drugs at a tender age . He said drugs like chloroquine should not be taken by children, say below the age of 10 , unless prescribed by a doctor . “ There have been instances of vision impairment in children who took chloroquine at a tender age without prescription , and there are some other drugs like that , which could affect their vision . That is why people are advised not to take drugs, unless prescribed by a doctor .”
Increased awareness : Meanwhile, an optometrist , Dr. Chigozie Onyesonwu , pointed out that increased usage of eyeglasses among children is also partly due to the fact that , with the increased awareness among parents , who now take their children for check up at an early age , some children now wear glasses in their early years to correct any defect that might arise as they grow older. He said , “In the past, it was like a taboo to see young children wear corrective devices , and back then even if the child ’s complaint about his or her vision was genuine , parents would dismiss it thinking it was aimed at being fashionable , but now parents have found out that it’s for the good of the child to take that step early .
Exposure to radioactive screens : Children are delighted by computers , phones and television and that is quite understandable . But findings have shown that excessive exposure to the screens of these devices could impair their vision over time . Onyesonwu said , “The radiation, especially the blue ray , coming from the screens of those devices alters many things in the eyes of children and so parents are advised to limit their children’s exposure to them . Apart from few cases that are age dependent , eye problem doesn ’t know gender or age , and so , parents should take note .” He stressed that adults should also limit their exposure to those screens . He added , “For people who use computer a lot , they should try and take break off the screen intermittently , especially when they are on that marathon usage or exposure . If the light is disturbing you so much, you have to use corrective lens on the system , which would shield the eyes from the blue light. We call them anti -reflective lenses . You don’t necessarily need to have eye problem before you use them , you just need to have them .”
In addition to this , WebMD , an online publisher of news and information pertaining to human health and well -being , advised people to follow the 20 / 20 / 20 rule , which says look at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes . It adds that people should place their screen about 25 inches away and slightly below the eye level .
Meanwhile , regardless of whether people have impaired vision or not, Onyesonwu advised that people should visit their eye specialists from time to time , saying that is one way they could help their eyes .
On how often people should visit the specialist, he said at least once a year and that people from the age of 40 should see their eye doctor more than once a year , especially those whose families have a history of eye problem , like glaucoma . “ Most of the time , eye problem is hereditary and for people who have it in their family, once they are 40 , they need to see their doctor regularly, even if it’s every six months , and this is also because early detection is key in preserving the eyes ,” he added .
Interestingly , there are things people could do to have healthy eyes . According to WebMD , these include eating well, especially food that are rich in Vitamin A , as such have been found to aid good vision. Food items recommended include citrus fruits , carrot, orange, vegetables , dark leafy greens , whole grains and food rich in zinc, like beans , peanuts and poultry products , which have been found to help the eyes resist light damage . Onyesonwu said people could also consider supplements that could give the vitamins that the eyes need .
While wearing sunglasses , sometimes, has a fashion appeal , people who use them may be doing themselves some good , as they have been found to protect the eyes and help to guard against eye problems like cataracts , cornea burns and cancer of the eyelid. WebMD also advised that people whose eyes are exposed to debris or hazardous chemicals , like welders and those working in quarries or construction sites , should always use protective eyewear .
People are equally advised not to ignore eye problems , and that they should see a doctor if they notice pain , secretions , swelling, sensitivity to light or blurred vision.
Also , for people who use eyeglasses , they are advised to use only approved cleaners and they should never wear the eyeglasses to bed .