The officer in charge of eye outreach services at the Iten County Referral Hospital (ICRH), Benson Biwott, has called on residents to visit eye clinics at least once every year to have their eyes tested for glaucoma disease.
Biwott said cases of glaucoma were on the increase in the county, saying while the disease cannot be reversed once it sets in, it can be treated if diagnosed early.
The medic, who is also an optician, said the disease, which is caused by increased pressure within the eyeball, which ends up affecting the optical nerves, does not have any symptoms in its early stages. Thus, the need to be tested for pressure annually.
Speaking to the press at the ICRH, the medic regretted that most people do not seek medical treatment whenever they experience eye problems and instead prefer going to the pharmacy for over the counter drugs.
Biwott expressed concern that the pharmacies issue steroid drugs, which do not treat the condition with patients coming to seek medication when it is too late, adding that many do not even know how to use the drugs.
“Most people keep the drugs and use them whenever they feel they have problems with their eyes without even knowing the dosage they are supposed to use,” he said.
He is therefore calling on residents to seek medical treatment from medics and only take drugs under prescription.
By Alice Wanjiru
