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When you experience eye pain, redness, itchiness, swelling, or blurred vision, you should never ignore such signs.

Dr Ben Dan Bwonya, an ophthalmologist at Mengo Hospital says these could be symptoms of a serious eye disease. Inform your parents or teachers who will take you to see a doctor.

For Harriet Namatovu, a primary six pupil in Matugga, Wakiso district, her eye problems started with a persistent headache. Her parents took her to an optician, who found out that she had an eye defect.

“The doctor said I am long-sighted. I was given spectacles and I was that my eyes would get better with time. “I only wear glasses when reading and watching television”, Namatovu says.

However, some children wear spectacles to look smart. This is bad, never wear spectacles without a doctor’s recommendation. You can spoil your eyes.

You can buy sunglasses, but doctors say it is not good to wear them for more than three hours a day. Sunglasses strain the eyes and may cause long-term negative effects.

Eye diseases

The common eye diseases in Uganda are conjunctivitis, cataracts, trachoma, and river blindness. Eye diseases are treatable.

If not treated early, one can become blind. Children should, therefore, have regular eye check-ups. This can be done during medical check-ups required before going back to school

What spoils your eyes

Sitting too close to the television set for long hours is not good

Playing computer games for many hours is also not good for your eyes, because of the light from the screen.

Staying indoors for a long time strains the eyes. Eyes relax when one comes outdoors in natural light.

Playing with sharp objects is also dangerous. Such objects can accidentally prick your eye.

Using expired eye drops is not good. Once opened, closely follow the doctor’s advice because eye drops easily expire. “Never wear glasses that are not prescribed for you because you have a similar eye problem to someone else. Sharing eyeglasses with a person with a sight problem worsens your sight defect”, says Dr Bwonya.

Childhood blindness

There are 1.4 million blind children in the world — 500,000 become blind each year. Dr Moses Kasadhakawo, the senior consultant ophthalmologist and assistant clinical head of Mulago Hospital, says most blind children are either born blind or get the defect before their fifth birthday.

Kasadhakawo says the causes of childhood blindness vary, but the main avoidable ones include corneal scarring due to measles, vitamin A deficiency, harmful traditional eye medication, cataract glaucoma, and low vision.