Wearing Glasses: A Taboo!!??

Two reasons to write this article. First, it’s my profession and my commitment to make a difference, however little, for better eye care in our society. Second, me being a woman, and my promise to myself and fellow women/ girls to not to let them suffer in silence, in an attempt not to displease society.

To give you all a better picture of what I intend to say, let me present to you few scenarios that I come across in my OPD very frequently.

   

Scenario A: 6 year old girl child coming to hospital gets screened and tested. Child has refractive error, obviously needs glasses. I advise glasses. Parents (unfortunately usually mother) says : “No doctor, let’s avoid glasses…Ye Che koor, pagah chu luk garas gasun”. ( She’s a girl child and glasses are viewed as a taboo). Personally I feel this “luk garas gasun” has killed more dreams than anything else for girls. Anyways another topic, some other time.

Scenario B: 14 year old girl coming to hospital for examination. Tests show girl has best corrected vision of only 60%. She has lost 40% of her vision to amblyopia (lazy eye) coz somewhere down the line she would have been our Scenario ‘A’.

Scenario C: A married 26 year old woman visits OPD with complaint of poor vision. She is in need of glasses which correct her vision to 90%. Previous records show she used to wear glasses in childhood. You ask her why she discontinued? Reply is coz she had to get married. Now you advise her to start wearing again, but she refuses. Reason? My in-laws will not like it, I’ll be taunted. Seriously what’s wrong with us?

Scenario D: Parents have given up because their teenage daughter refuses to wear glasses. She feels it affects her appearance and has given up to peer pressure.

Before I continue, let me be very clear that I am not saying everyone falls in the same category. I am not generalizing the issue. I have met most forthcoming and broad minded men and women. But there are around 40% of us who need to introspect a little more.

The truth is glasses in our society are viewed as anathema. Millions of women and girls are suffering with bad eyesight because they or their parents don’t want glasses to ruin their appearance.

Psychology studies reveal social pressure often causes people to change their picture of reality and those who resist it are emotionally upset.

“Fitting in feels good”, even at the expense of your otherwise good sense(s) and we pay an emotional price for the courage of our conviction.

So what happens when you deprive yourself or your child of wearing a corrective power/glass at correct age? It’s what we call AMBLYOPIA/ LAZY EYE. Amblyopia is poor vision due to abnormal visual experience early in life, it affects approximately 3% of population and carriers a projected lifetime risk of visual loss of at least 1.2%. From birth till about age 8, a child’s eyes and brain form vital connections. Anything that blocks/blurs vision in one/both eyes can slow down or prevent these connections. If that happens, the brain might not fully recognise images seen by one or both eyes. Then, the brain begins to ignore the images seen by otherwise healthy eye, and the eyes become weaker, losing vision strength(acuity). This eye is then referred to as ‘amblyopic’.

How do Glasses help?

Glasses help in sending clear, focussed image to brain, which teach it to ‘switch on’ the weaker eye. This allows brain to use the eyes together and develop normal vision.

Remember age is the key. After age 8 or 10 amblyopia cannot be treated with desired results.

Later when you complete 18 years and wish to get rid of your glasses we can do that. We have many cosmetic surgeries/procedures like LASIK/ICL in our armamentarium now.

Also nowadays you can see celebrities and famous personell sporting glasses. There are variety of stylish and trendy frames available in the market.

So dear parents and dear in laws stop looking at glasses as a taboo. Stop feeling shy coz you don’t need society’s approval. Society is us, together we can change the mindset of our people. We have to be the change. And dear kids, you are all beautiful and special in your own rights. Be confident and aspire for greater heights. Don’t let somebody else’s perception of who you should be change who you are. God bless!

Dr. Shazia Shafi is Consultant at ASG Eye Hospital, Srinagar.

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