Blackteeth: [size=2pt]welcome to nairaland.[/size]

If you dont see the characters I wrote above, you better begin dey pray oh.

RuuDie: I have glaucoma and presently, I have to use an eye-drop every single night and go for regular checks every month for the rest of my life.
Its really very scary knowing one day you might wake up and not be able to see a thing. I live with the fear every day now, but I am trying to get used to it!

free2ryhme: na lie oooooooo ...

wengerjay: Who is an Optometrist?To the best of my knowlegde,the Opthalmologists are in the best position to diagnose and treat Glaucoma.People say Optometrists only dispense glasses.Please i need clarification.

wengerjay: Who is an Optometrist?To the best of my knowlegde,the Opthalmologists are in the best position to diagnose and treat Glaucoma.People say Optometrists only dispense glasses.Please i need clarification.

mecussey: I have been in feer for the past three yrs, knowing fully well that you may wake up one day and not see anything. If i sleep with light and wake up at midnight when Nepa must have taken the light, I just shout and look out for the window, the smallest light I see makes me praise God and relax. HIV is nothing compared to Glaucoma, but anything that wont kill you can only make you stronger

aijaydiva:
according to WHO, optometrists are licensed eye and vision care providers that refract and dispence optical aids like glasses,diagnose and treat ocular diseases and rehabilate eye conditions. Ophthamologists are medical practioners that specialize in eye diseases and surgery. I hope u have been clarified

ACM10: What authority does an optometrist have to comment on the epidemiology of glaucoma? It is only in Nigeria that one can get this $$hit. I expect an ophthalmologist to make this projection.

Enchanted1:

Well, in my case, the optometrist was extremely helpful. I do not have glaucoma, however I do have high intraocular eye pressure as well as other risk factors for glaucoma. I went to see an optometrist for my yearly eye-exam and to get new glasses. After performing several tests, the optometrist decided to refer me to an opthamologist that specializes in glaucoma. Thanks to that optometrist (and opthamologist), I am now managing my eye pressure with drops that I use daily. Yes, it will be for the rest of my life but I would much rather have to use drops daily to control my pressure and prevent the development of glaucoma, than to actually have glaucoma itself.
BTW, I am very much under 40 years old o (early 30s). It is so important to check your eyes regularly! Also, do not rule out the value of a good optometrist. They are usually your first contact before seeing an opthamologist -especially since the optometrist is licensed to test eye pressure!!

***to the poster I quoted- Please do not mislead people with false information***

RuuDie: I have glaucoma and presently, I have to use an eye-drop every single night and go for regular checks every month for the rest of my life.
Its really very scary knowing one day you might wake up and not be able to see a thing. I live with the fear every day now, but I am trying to get used to it!

ACM10: What authority does an optometrist have to comment on the epidemiology of glaucoma? It is only in Nigeria that one can get this $$hit. I expect an ophthalmologist to make this projection.

ACM10:

That area is an exclusive reserve of ophthalmologists. [size=15pt]An optometrist cannot even make a diagnosis of glaucoma[/size] So how can he jump to epidemiology when he cannot make the diagnosis of the disease in question? We should learn to separate the job of different cadres of health workers. No need to introduce this unnecessary confusion.

adexsimply: pls can addiction to laptops and PDAs lead to glaucoma?





*panicking*

ACM10:

You are ignorant! Optometrist is equivalent to a radiographer, while an ophthalmologist is equivalent to a radiologist. Though an optometrist is trained in eye care, but his skills are limited. You wouldn't want an optometrist to toy with your eyes on the operating table.

ACM10:

You were doing well until the bolded. I guess you did not read my comment well. Maybe you should put on your prescription lens, or better still, replace it with a high power lens. We are basically saying the same thing. There is no denying the fact that an optometrist operates at a primary eye care level, while an ophthalmologist operates at a tertiary eye care level. What I frowns at is a situation where an optometrist will make a bold claim that bothers on epidemiology. That area is an exclusive reserve of ophthalmologists. An optometrist cannot even make a diagnosis of glaucoma. So how can he jump to epidemiology when he cannot make the diagnosis of the disease in question? We should learn to separate the job of different cadres of health workers. No need to introduce this unnecessary confusion.

LADEMINUS:

Again u fall foul of common knowledge here, ophthalmology has no relationship with epidemiology, neither does optometry, however anyone with the facts at his disposal can make a sane claim (even you) and pls, even a nurse can diagnose glaucoma... What u r saying that an optometrist cannot diagnose glaucome is just like claiming that a doctor cannot diagnose cancer... In both cases of the clinician has the knowledge and instrumentation then he can make d diagnosis. In fact even a year 3 med student can confidently infer a serious cancer correctly!!

ACM10:

You are ignorant! Optometrist is equivalent to a radiographer, while an ophthalmologist is equivalent to a radiologist. Though an optometrist is trained in eye care, but his skills are limited. You wouldn't want an optometrist to toy with your eyes on the operating table.

ACM10:

Are you serious with the comment that a 3rd year medical student can confidently infer a serious cancer correctly? You must be having a laugh. I guess you are not in tune with the medical school curriculum. In case you don't know, epidemiology is a subsection of every medical field that can make diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious disease. I'm not here to denigrate the optometry profession. They are noble people. But I hate it when people exceeds their limit of competence. For instance, a woman died in our hospital 3 days ago from the complications of labour. She had a previous history of caesarean section during her 2nd delivery, but delivered vaginally in his 3rd pregnancy. Presented at the hospital for her 4th delivery. Unfortunately, the doctor was not around, so the labour was managed by a nurse. She went ahead to augment labour with oxytocin in a woman with signs of obstructed labour and with a previous history of caesarean section. Hmmm. . .ofcourse she had an uterine rupture and was rushed to our hospital. This is a case of a nurse playing doctor. Those little extra knowledge doctors have is what differentiates them from other health workers.

Rewind back to glaucoma. Tell me the criteria for making the diagnosis of glaucoma and how can you differentiate it from intraocular hypertension? I'm waiting. . .

aijaydiva:
there are three things that confirm the diagnosis of glaucoma, viz, the intraocular pressure (IOP), the individual's visual field and the appearance of the optic nerve head (optic disc). Someone having just high IOP doesnt indicate glaucoma but that patient could be a glaucoma suspect.

aijaydiva: If u mean the symptoms well thats d bad part. No symptoms are noticed. In oda words they are asymptomatic. That is why public awareness is necessary to remind people of the dangers of neglecting regular eye checkups. Any loss of vision caused by glaucoma is irreversible but early detection would help u stop progression of damage to vision.

ACM10:

So untrue! Depending on the stage of presentation, glaucoma can be symptomatic or asymptomatic. Well established and late-stage glaucoma are symptomatic. Some early-stage glaucoma are symptomatic. This is where the confusion arise because it can mimic other eye pathology. This is where we separarte the wheat from the chaff. Kindly tell me some of its symptoms so that we can proceed.