Children’s eyes looking in different directions are defects — Optometrist

Children’s eyes which may appear to be looking in different directions are a defect that needs urgent medical attention, Dr. Alfred Gardemor, a Principal Optometrist and Head of the Optometric Center at the Nsawam Government Hospital has stated.

He explained that the problem known medically as retinoblastoma is an eye cancer that begins in the retina — the sensitive lining on the inside of your eye, stressing that it commonly affects young children, but can rarely occur in adults.

“Your retina is made up of nerve tissue that senses light as it comes through the front of your eye, although relatively uncommon, it can have devastating consequences for the children affected by it.

“If treated too late, it can lead to the loss of the eye, invasion of the brain, and death,” Dr Gardemor who is also the Public Relations Officer for Ghana Optometric Association (GOA) stated at the fifth Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office and the Ghana Optometric Association fortnightly public sensitization initiative “GNA-GOA: My Eye! My Vision!

The fortnight initiative is a collaborative public education advocacy campaign to promote the need for people to access eye care and also to draw attention to vision health and was monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema.

The GNA-GOA: My Eyes! My Vision! The initiative also seeks to challenge the public and policymakers to focus on vision as a health issue, which forms a critical component of mankind’s wellbeing but is often neglected.

Speaking on the topic; “Children’s Vision and Eye Health”, Dr. Gardemor explained retinoblastoma may occur in one or both eyes, stressing that retinoblastoma has few, if any, symptoms at first.

“It may be noticed if a pupil appears white when light is shone into the eye, sometimes with flash photography. Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation, and laser therapy,” Dr Gardemor noted.

Dr. Gadermor explained that a child with heritable retinoblastoma has an increased risk of a pineal tumor in the brain.

“When retinoblastoma and a brain tumor occur at the same time, it is called trilateral retinoblastoma. The brain tumor is usually diagnosed between 20 and 36 months of age,” he said.

He added that the safest way to save a baby’s life when diagnosed with retinoblastoma was to take out the affected eye to prevent the spread.

He advised pregnant women to be cautious of what they eat during pregnancy since it was a stage where a lot of changes occurred in the human body and the baby.

Deputy Superintendent of Police and an Optometrist at the Police Hospital in Accra, Dr. Remi Ninkpe, who spoke on the topic: “Proper administration of eye drops,” explained that the administration of eye medication must be systematic to promote good vision.

He charged patients to follow the optometrist’s prescription religiously to ensure that, the process does not incur additional health issues related to the eye.

Dr. Ninkpe who is also the President of the Ghana Optometric Association said it was very important to wash hands with soap and water and clean with dry neat towels to remove every impurity before administering the drugs.

He said that it was also important to check the tip of the eye drop after removing the dropper cap to make sure it had not cracked or damaged adding that the tip must not be touched.

He mentioned that one or two fingers could be placed on the face about an inch below the eye to gently pull down to create a pocket between your lower eyelid and your eyeball.

DSP Ninkpe advised that a clean tissue must be used to absorb and wipe away any drops that spill out of your eye and onto the eyelids as well as your face and hands must be washed with soap to clean stray eye drops.