Eye Care

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF EYE MEDICATION
	Correct use of medication can dramatically increase the success rate of treatment. Not taking medication or changing your regimen without consulting your doctor can lead to ineffective treatment and in some cases even visual loss. It is crucial to follow the medical routine prescribed by one's physician.
	Opening the eyedropper: make sure your hands are washed before handling your eye drops. Your fingers must never touch the tip of the eyedropper during opening and closing the dropper as this may contaminate the eye drops.
	It is important to tell your doctor of medications that you are or have been allergic to.
	Make sure you know the name of the medication and how often you need to take it.
	Taking multiple drops at the same time reduces effectiveness. Wait 15 minutes between drops.
	Do not increase the number or amount of medication taken at one time - " If some is good, more must be better" does not hold true.
	If possible, keep eye drops in the refrigerator. When cold, it is easier to tell if drops have gotten into the eye. Eye drops that require to be kept cold may lose their potency if left outside. Always replace the cap after using the drops.
	Do not stop taking medication just because you have no obvious symptoms.
	Take all prescribed doses at the prescribed time. Missed doses reduce the effectiveness of treatment.
	Remember to take medications with you when you travel.
	Before instilling the drops, check which eye they are meant for (e.g., left eye instead of right eye) and check the label for the right drops, expiry date or tampered seals. If the eye drops are milky, do not forget to shake well before use.
	Learn how to take eye drops properly - tilt the head back; pull the lower lid down with the index finger; look up when putting in the drops. This will stop you from blinking, and keep the medicine from draining out of your eye too quickly. To prevent contaminating the eye dropper tip, be careful not to let the tip touch your eye, eyelid, eyelashes or fingers; do not blink repeatedly after instilling the eye drops; instead shut the eyes gently and press one finger against the lower lid where it meets your nose for at least 2 minutes - this slows down the absorption of eye drops into the blood stream. Use a tissue to blot around the eyes, but do not rub.
	Maintain a medication schedule and lists of treatments of doctors.
	If uncomfortable symptoms occur when using eye drops, discuss the problem with your ophthalmologist.
	Prescription eye drops such as steroids are extremely potent. Using them without the knowledge of your eye doctor for a problem that seems similar to an earlier problem is dangerous. Prolonged or indiscriminate use of steroids can cause cataract and/or glaucoma, leading to decreased vision.
Listed are some risk factors for eye diseases
	Smoking - increases the risk of cataract and macular degeneration by more than 3 times
	Alcohol - More than 1 alcoholic drink per day can increase cataract risk.
	Bright UV light / not using sunglasses - increases the risk of cataract and macular degeneration.
	Blood pressure and cholesterol - increases the risk of macular degeneration.
	Lack of protective eyewear - risk of eye injury and loss of sight.
TIMING OF EYE AND VISION SCREENING EXAMINATIONS
	Vision screening and eye examination are vital for the detection of conditions that distort or suppress the normal visual image, which may lead to inadequate school performance or, even worse, blindness in children. Retinal abnormalities, cataracts, glaucoma, retinoblastoma [eye tumour], eye muscle imbalances, and systemic disease with ocular manifestations may all be identified by careful examination. Examination of the eyes can be performed at any age, beginning in the newborn period, and should be done at all well-baby clinics. Vision screening should be performed for a child at the earliest age that is practical, because a small child rarely complains that one eye is not seeing properly. Conditions that interfere with vision are of extreme importance, because visual stimuli are critical to the development of normal vision. Normal visual development requires the brain to receive equally clear, focused images from both eyes simultaneously for the visual pathways to develop properly.
	All infants should be examined by 6 months of age to evaluate fixation preference, ocular alignment, and the presence of any eye disease. These infants should continue to be checked until 3 or 4 years of age. Formal vision screening evaluations should begin at 3 years of age.
	We would like the parents' observations about "Does your child seem to see well?" "Does your child hold objects unusually close to his or her face when trying to focus?" "Do the eyes appear straight?" "Do the eyes seem to cross?" It is important because parents' observations often prove correct. Please offer correct family history regarding eye disorders or early use of glasses.
	An examination would include an external inspection of the eyes, tests for visual acuity on an age-appropriate basis, tests for ocular muscle movement and eye muscle imbalances and ophthalmoscopic examination.
	Your child should be comfortable and in good health at the time of the examination and, if at all possible, should have some preparation for the testing situation. Particularly for younger children, you may be required to demonstrate the anticipated testing procedures. It is often convenient for the younger child to sit on the parent's lap during the procedures.
	Children who have eyeglasses generally should have their vision tested while wearing the eyeglasses. Do not forget to bring the child's eyeglasses.
	Muscle imbalance testing
	The assessment of ocular alignment in the preschool and early school-aged child is of considerable importance. The development of ocular muscle imbalance may occur at any age in children and may represent not only simple strabismus [squint] but also serious ocular or neurological disease.
	Refractive errors
	Refractive errors requiring the use of eyeglasses exist in nearly one-fifth of children before the late teenage years. The most common clinically significant refractive error is myopia (nearsightedness), usually seen in school-aged children and correctable with eyeglasses. Hyperopia (farsightedness) can cause problems in performing close work but usually does not necessitate correction in children unless it is sufficient to cause crossed eyes or reduced vision. Astigmatism (unequal curvature of the refractive surfaces of the eye) necessitates corrective eyeglasses if it causes significantly decreased vision or is of such severity to contribute to the development of amblyopia (lazy eye). In addition, unequal amounts of refractive error between the two eyes (anisometropia) also may lead to amblyopia and may require a prescription for corrective eyeglasses. The detection of amblyopia at an early age is an important aspect of the routine eye examination in the pediatric population. Left undetected and untreated, amblyopia may lead to irreversible visual deficit.
	We hope this information has been useful to you, and we look forward to keeping in touch with you in the future.