Doctor: Stylish contacts bought from pasar malam can ruin eyesight

Clear vision: Dr Vendargon overseeing an eye examination, which will also be offered for free during the World Sight Day event here in Johor Baru.

JOHOR BARU: The next time you want to purchase colourful or stylish contact lenses from a pasar malam, think again as such lenses can cause blindness in the long run.

“At least one person is diagnosed as blind in the state on a weekly basis either due to cataract, glaucoma or diabetes,” Johor state ophthalmologist Dr Francesca Martina Vendargon said.

“Based on statistics, at least 58% of Malaysians go blind due to cataract while 10% were attributed to diabetes and 7% to glaucoma,” she said, adding that blindness can also be a loss of vision on either eye.

Dr Vendargon said buying contact lenses from unverified and uncertified opticians was risky.

“This advice also applies to those who buy lenses online without proper certifications or prescriptions,” she said during a press conference at Sultanah Aminah Hospital here yesterday.

Dr Vendargon, who is also Hospital Sultanah Aminah’s Ophthal­mology Department head, added that those wearing contact lenses need to check their eyes before being prescribed lenses.

As for those who need to wear contact lenses for work, they need to be mindful not to wear their lenses more than eight hours a day and always maintain hygiene and cleanliness when handling the lenses to avoid infection, she said.

“Your eyes need oxygen and wearing lenses over eight hours a day is inadvisable,” she said.

She also said people should be wary of extensive use of either topical, oral or nasal spray steroids for sinusitis, as excessive use could cause secondary glaucoma.

Dr Vendargon said everyone, especially those aged above 40, must have their eyes examined.

“Sometimes people do not even realise that they have lost vision in one of their eyes,” she said, adding that there were now cases of younger patients going blind due to these problems.

“We always advise those above 40 to go for at least one eye check-up to determine the condition of their eyes.

“As for those with diabetes, an eye check-up is necessary.”

She added that HSA handled at least 4,500 patients for eye-related check-ups and treatment each month.

Dr Vendargon said that blindness due to a cataract is treatable and blindness due to diabetic eye disease is preventable but both are avoidable.

Cataract is cloudiness of the lens that progresses with age and can be treated with cataract surgery.

Glaucoma is an eye disorder associated with elevated pressure that damages the optic nerve, resulting in irreversible blindness.

Dr Vendargon said that as part of the Health Ministry’s programme to create awareness about the importance of maintaining eye health, the Johor Health Department will be hosting World Sight Day in Persada Convention Centre on Oct 11 between 8am and 4pm.

The Johor Permaisuri will be the chief guest at the event.

Free eye screening will be offered, including visual acuity, intraocular pressure and optic nerve tests.

“This will be the first time during World Sight Day celebrations that preschool children will undergo eye screening,” she said.