Tema, Dec. 27, MNN – Dr. Kwame Oben Nyarko, Chief Executive Officer of Third Eyecare and Vision Centre has revealed that allergies can cause itchy eyes especially when a child appears in an environment which contains allergens -substances that can trigger an allergic response.
“Immediately parents, teachers, or guardians identified an allergic condition which affects the child, optometrist’s attention must be sought immediately,” 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.
Dr. Oben-Nyarko who is also GOA Public Relations Officer spoke on “red alerts among kids with eye conditions,” and revealed that some eye conditions in children can be caused by allergic reactions to substances in the environment including air pollutants.
“Dust particles can also cause redness of the eyes including in children,” he said and noted that other red alerts which parents, teachers, and guardians must look out for among children include persistent headaches and constant complaining of itchy eyes, these signs called for immediate optometric examination.
“When children complain of the paleness of colours and difficulties in distinguishing different letters that look similar, they must immediately seek optometric care,” he said.
The Third Eyecare and Vision Center, Chief Executive warned parents that a change of colour of the eyes might also be a symptom of an eye condition; as such the child must be attended to by an Optometrist.
He said eye conditions in children or pupils must be attended to and treated in an early stage to prevent permanent loss of vision, therefore, there is a need to visit the eye clinic to get your eyes tested when a person notices any changes in the eyes.
The GOA Public Relations Officer also warned that environmental pollution which involves the release of harmful gases including smoke into the atmosphere may cause irritations to the eye and trigger some allergic reactions.
Dr. Oben Nyarko explained that long-term exposure to air pollution may cause redness of the eyes, and dryness, and may trigger some inflammations.
He said redness of the eyes as a result of infections produces a yellowish or colourless fluid at the corner of the eyes and some of these infections could be seasonal. This condition affects children as well and needs a thorough eye examination instantly.
