GOA warns against the use of unapproved herbal concoctions on the eye

Dr. Kwame Oben Nyarko, the Chief Executive of the Third Eyecare and Vision Centre has cautioned against the use of herbal preparations not approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for the eye and purported concoctions for eye treatment.

“In many instances, people with mild eye infections aggravate their conditions after applying unapproved different kinds of herbal products on the eye,” he said.

The efficacy of such concoctions cannot be proven, “the eyes are undoubtedly the most sensitive and delicate organs and present us with the window through which we can see the world around us,” Dr. Oben-Nyarko stated at the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office and Ghana Optometric Association “GNA-GOA My Eyes! My Vision! campaign platform in Tema.

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.

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 well-being but is often neglected.

He said, “Because that part of the eye is curved, it bends the light, creating an upside-down image on the retina which is eventually put the right way up by the brain”.

Dr. Oben Nyarko who is also the GOA Public Relations Officer stressed that “It is a high-risk venture to attempt to put something which medically has not been tested, which has not been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and recommended or prescribed by an optometrist on the eye”.

Speaking on “Red alerts among kids with eye conditions,” Dr. Oben-Nyarko, explained that the images we see are made up of light reflected from the objects we look at, which enters the eye through the cornea.

The Third Eyecare and Vision Center Chief Executive stressed that the retina is a complex part of the eye, but only the very back of it is light-sensitive and is packed with photosensitive cells called rods and cones.

Dr. Oben-Nyarko explained that the photosensitive cells allow us to see images in colour and detail, as well as at night.

He emphasized that the cornea in the eye can be damaged when it gets into contact with non-neutral substances and recommended that only approved and recommended eye drops should be used on the eyes.

He stressed that when the cornea of the eye is damaged it can only be cured by transplant which is expensive, urging that drugs that are prescribed by eye specialists should be the only medication used for the eye.

He said any injury to the cornea cannot be reversed, aside from going through an expensive transplant.

Dr. Oben-Nyarko encouraged patients who visit eye doctors to disclose all information about their treatments to ensure they are well-catered for.

He appealed to such patients to disclose all vital information to their eye specialists about other health facilities they had visited, what type of medication they are using, and any other health information including family health history, “if available”.

He expressed concern that many patients have multiple doctors, in addition to sometimes visiting herbal facilities in desperation to have their eye problems cured.

Dr Oben Nyarko insisted that all medical decisions should be discussed with their primary eye doctor even if they want to seek a second opinion.