Do I really need glasses to correct my eyesight?

Dr Flo,

I am 19 years old. I have had a problem with my eyes since I was in Standard Seven. I can read books and see things on my phone and computer well, but I can’t see things that are a distance away from me.

Sometimes my eyes ache when I strain to see things. I have been told that I need to get glasses to help me see, but I don’t want to because I think they will worsen my eyesight and make me dependent on them.

Do I really have to get spectacles or is there medicine I can use instead?

Alfred

Dear Alfred,

You are shortsighted (also called myopia). To be able to see, light enters the eye through the cornea and the lens of the eye, which bends (refracts) the light to focus it on the retina at the back of the eye.

When you are shortsighted, the light is focused in front of the retina, so you do not see the object clearly. This can happen if the eyeball is too long or if you have a problem with the cornea or lens causing the light to be bent in a less effective manner. As a result, you have a problem seeing things that are far from you, but can see things that are near you clearly.

Straining to see things puts a strain on your eyes and may give you headaches. There is no good explanation for why some people’s eye balls are longer than they should be, but most of the time, if someone is shortsighted, there is a high likelihood that they have a close relative who is also shortsighted. Myopia is quite common with 20 to 30 per cent of all people having some level of shortsightedness.

You need to see an eye specialist who will do some tests to assess the level of shortsightedness. The problem is easily corrected using spectacles or contact lenses which will help to make your vision better. Wearing glasses does not worsen the problem, neither is it addictive. You can even take it as an excellent fashion statement.

There are other ways to correct eyesight, such as the use of intraocular lenses (lenses are placed inside the eye surgically) and refractive surgery. Refractive surgery can be done in some people who are shortsighted, once their eye balls have stopped growing (after age 18). The most common type is laser surgery. If the surgery is successful, then one can see normally, and won’t need glasses.

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Dr Flo,

My two-year-old daughter snores at night and sometimes when she is awake.

She always seems to have a cold and has to be taken to hospital often. At the last visit, an x-ray was done and I was informed that she has adenoids. What are those and is there a way to cure them?

Elizabeth

Dear Elizabeth,

Adenoids are a small mass of tissue at the back of the nose. They usually grow during the first 10 years of life, then they start shrinking after that.

 If they overgrow, in what is called adenoid hypertrophy, they can block the nasal passage. This leads to difficulty in breathing, breathing with the mouth open, voice changes and snoring even while awake. If the blockage is severe, it can interfere with the child’s sleep because she has to keep waking up to breathe. Adenoid hypertrophy can also lead to recurrent infections of the ear, changes in how the face develops, and even lung and heart problems.

The problem is best dealt with by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. If there is an ongoing infection, antibiotics will be useful. Nasal drops and nasal sprays may also be used. If the symptoms are severe, surgery can be done to remove the adenoids. This is sometimes done together with removal of the tonsils if they are enlarged.

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Dear Doc,

My five-year-old son was recently treated for an ear infection.

Shortly after that he had pus pouring out of his left ear. He says the pain has subsided, but I’m worried that he might develop a hearing problem. How can I prevent the ear infection from recurring?

Concerned Parent

Dear Concerned Parent,

Ear infections are quite common in children. When the middle ear (the part behind the ear drum) is affected, the infection is called otitis media.

Infections are caused by bacteria or viruses and most of the time they occur during or after an upper respiratory tract infection (running nose, throat pain, tonsillitis and cough). Ear infections are also common in children with allergies, those exposed to tobacco smoke, those who use pacifiers a lot and those who are not breastfeed for long. Some people also get ear infections after going swimming.

The infection usually travels to the inner ear through the Eustachian tube which connects the back of the throat to the middle ear. This tube is wider in children, making it easier for the infection to move from the throat to the ear. Moreover, children are predisposed to infection because they have lower immunity than adults.

An infected child may have a fever, complain of ear pain or you may notice that they do not hear well with the affected ear. At some point, there might be a pus-like discharge coming out of the ear if the ear drum ruptures. In younger children who may not be able to talk, you may notice them pulling the ear repeatedly or hitting their hands against it.

Once the problem has been diagnosed, treatment includes antibiotics and pain killers. Ear drops may also be useful. Dry the discharge by dry wicking – use pieces of cotton wool, roll the length of the cotton wool with your fingers and insert it gently into the ear canal. Allow it to absorb the discharge, then remove and repeat with another piece of cotton, until dry. You can repeat this three or four times a day.

If otitis media is treated well when it first occurs, it can heal without any complications, and the ruptured ear drum also heals. Unfortunately for some people, the problem persists and keeps recurring. If that happens, then you need to see an ENT specialist for further treatment, to prevent permanent hearing loss, and other complications.