A. Myopia is also known as near-sightedness, where there is more difficulty in distance vision compared to near vision. Here the distant objects appear more blurred than the near ones. Contrary to what people believe myopia doesn’t mean blindness. Children and older people with myopia can lead comfortable normal lives with corrective glasses or contact lenses or laser vision correction procedures.
A. As a first step it is usually corrected with glasses, which are commonly known as “minus” glasses. later depending upon age and other factors, contact lenses or laser vision correction can be done.
A. Myopia is known to slowly progress with age usually upto around 18 years of age, here progression means the power of the “minus” glasses increases. It is usually linked with growth of the body and various other factors.
A. In this day and age of digital media, where children do most of their studying on laptops, desktops or tabs, it is important to reduce screen time for all non-essential works like video games and etc .
A. As of now Atropine in the concentration of 0.01% is known to slow down the progression of myopia, but it neither stops progression nor does it reduce the glass power
A. In myopes eyes should be checked every 6-8 months or at least once in a year
A. If your child is pre-mature then 1st checkup should be within 1 month of birth, otherwise within first six months of birth for a routine checkup.
A. Yes, you can have a rough idea by asking your child to read some letters on the TV screen or Calendar from a standard distance what you normally can see with or without glasses, provided you have optimum vision yourself. At clinic, the distance as well as the letter sizes are standardized as per international norms.
A. It is not certain that your child will surely have it but it has been seen that if any/both parents have myopia then the probability of your child inheriting myopia is more. It is best to have an eye check-up at an early age of the child to rule out any such possibilities.
A. Although Cataract is common in the elderly, but in fact new born children can be born with cataract.
A. Similar to in elderly, cataract in children requires surgery for treatment. Although there are subtle differences between the two, but it is mostly pertaining to the way the surgery is done which concerns the operating surgeon.
A. Yes, bifocal glasses are required after surgery.
A. Usually children older than 1 year of age are implanted an IOL, the decision of implanting an IOL in children younger than 1 yr of age usually rests with the surgeon.
A. The usual standard precautions are to be taken; any special precaution will be intimated to you by the doctor.
A. After Surgery in children’s eyes should be checked every 6 months, which should constitute glass power checkup, checkup of eye pressure [IOP] and retinal evaluation. Some children do not co-operate for IOP measurement, they may need a short sedation for IOP checkup.
A. Squint is also known as strabismus, it is a condition where the two eyes are “pointed” in two different directions. If it points inwards it is known as convergent squint [Esotropia], if it points outwards it is known as divergent squint [Exotropia].
A. Squint is kind of a relationship between two eyes, so when one eye squints the other eye remains straight and vice versa.
A. Usually initially glasses and/or exercises are advised for squint, if they are not adequate surgery may be required.
A. Unlike cataract surgery squint surgery cannot be done with lasers as of now.
A. Usually surgery is reserved for patients in whom squint is not correctable by other means like glasses or exercises, so if squint is corrected with glasses, it means it requires glasses only as treatment.
A. Yes, surgery for squint will not lead to removal of glasses. other measures have to be taken to remove glasses.
A. Patching is a form of treatment given to correct lazy eyes. Here the better eye is fully covered for a particular number of hours as advised by the doctor, this should be accompanied by glasses if needed.
A. Patching has to be done during ONLY during waking hours. during patching some visually demanding tasks has to be done, to force the weaker eye work, this helps in regaining its function.
A. Younger the age, more effective is patching as a therapy, if patching is not done early, the damage may become irreversible.
A. Patching can be done with commercially available patches, or can also be done with tissue paper and tape . Anything that covers the eye fully is good enough.
A. Yes, but they are not as effective as patching, but if the child doesn’t patch at all, then it can be done as a second option, as something is better than nothing.
A. Eye allergy is very common in children, more so, in summer season or in season changes. Sometimes, a super added infection may also be there. It is better to come for a check-up with these symptoms.
A. Yes, it is a sign of frequent eye rubbing for which glands on the lids get clogged and stye happens. It may so happen that the child rubs more as he cannot see clearly and feels that it will be clearer after rubbing. A detailed eye exam is a must in this case.
A. Eye allergy is usually caused by microscopic dusts and allergens which are present in the air, the dusts particles cannot be seen through the eyes, these dust particles are present in indoor air as well, thus routine allergy testing is usually not advised for eye allergy. If your child has systemic allergy i.e.. allergy in other parts of the body, consult your doctor to assess the need for allergy testing.
A. Eye allergy by its nature is recurrent, usually it goes away on applying medicines for 1-2 months, after that when medicines are stopped it has high chances to recur. Usually, it gets cured on its own when the child grows up beyond a certain age, which can vary from person to person.
A. Some of the allergy medicines are NOT safe for long term continued usage, thus their usage has to be strictly under medical supervision. Thus, it is very important to use allergy medicines only after consulting a doctor.
A. If you are above 50 years, and been in a similar situation, there is nothing to worry about. Cataract or “chhani” or “motiyabind” as it is called in local languages, is one of the most common eye diseases which almost every human being develops in their lifetime. The God-gifted natural lens gradually opacifies with age, causing blurring of vision. Fortunately, the solution is very simple, and a painless one-time surgical procedure is the answer. Cataract surgery is today the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the world, and with the highest success rate.
A. A cataract surgery is usually performed under topical anaesthesia i.e., only with the help of eyedrops, without use of any injections. The surgeon uses either phacoemulsification or laser to take out the opacified natural lens and replaces it with an artificial intra-ocular lens, suited to your eye. The entire procedure takes 10-15 minutes only.
A. Prior to your surgery, there will a comprehensive examination of your eye including cornea, retina, nerve, and pressure of the eyes. A biometry test is done to calculate the power of the lens required for your eye. Based on the results of all these, your surgeon will discuss with you, which lenses would be most suitable for you.
A. With today’s modern cataract surgery, you will be ready to get back to work in 2-3 days.
A. There are no restrictions on food, and there is no requirement for bed rest. A head bath is allowed after 7 days.
A. You will be called to the hospital two hours prior to the surgery for dilatation of pupil and preparation of the eye to be operated. If you have opted for laser cataract surgery, under topical anaesthesia, first the laser treatment of the eye will be performed. This is followed by removal of the cataract using phacoemulsification and implantation of the intraocular implant. You will be in the hospital for a total of 3-4 hours.
Dr. Tanmoy Biswas is a specialist Ophthalmologist with expertise in paediatric ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology. He is dedicated to diagnosing and treating eye conditions in both children and adults, focusing on disorders like strabismus, amblyopia, and neuro-ophthalmic conditions. Dr. Biswas combines his extensive experience with the latest technologies to provide compassionate, personalized care for all his patients.
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