By Kunle SHONUGA
Dr Funmi Shokunbi, the Director, Medical Administration, Training and Programmes, Lagos State Ministry of Health, has warned people against using onion water to treat eye problems.
TBI Africa said Shokunbi gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
She spoke on the sidelines of a public lecture to commemorate the World Glaucoma Week.
The lecture was held in conjunction with Drugfield Pharmaceutical Companies, VisionPro, and others.
NAN reports that theme of the event organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Health was: “Beat Invisible Glaucoma”.
According to her, instilling anything that is not prescribed by your Eyecare provider can cause glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damages the eyes optic nerve and can result in vision loss and blindness.
“The use of onion water, battery water, urine and other chemicals as treatment for eye discharge is wrong.
“Also, the use of steroids into the eyes without prescription can cause glaucoma.
“Steroids can increase intraocular pressure and infection; some can cause endoftamitis, thereby causing the eye to go blind,” Shokunbi said.
She described glaucoma as “a very devastating affliction in our time, adding that the condition had no known cause and cure.
The director said glaucoma causes irreversible damage to the eyes, saying that blindness caused by glaucoma could not be restored.
According to her, the condition can only be managed.
Shokunbi explained that the progression of blindness could be slowed down, stressing that the hallmark of the prevention of glaucoma was early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
She said that glaucoma could affect anybody, even children.
The director said that there were some risks factors.
“The fact that we are Africans makes us a risk factor; the fact that you have a family history makes you at higher risk of having glaucoma.
“Hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell anaemia, short sightedness, migraine are all risk factors of glaucoma.
“The high intraocular pressure happens to be one of the major modifiable risk factor.
“This is why we insist on early detection and diagnosis is very key in preventing blindness from glaucoma,” she said.
Shokunbi advised people who are above 40 years of age to have their eyes screened once in a year.
She also advised those who are in the habit of changing their glasses frequently to submit themselves to opthalmogical review.
