Buying eye drugs without prescription risky, optometrist warns
Add us on Google An optometrist, Chidiebere Ezeanowai, has cautioned Nigerians against purchasing and using eye medications without a proper prescription from qualified eye care professionals. Mr Ezeanowai, the immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Optometric Association, Anambra State chapter, gave the advice on Thursday in Awka during an interview with journalists. He stressed the importance of maintaining good eye health habits to prevent avoidable blindness and other vision-related complications. According to him, self-medication, especially the use of over-the-counter eye drops and drugs without professional guidance, could lead to irreversible damage. Stay Ahead with Premium Times Follow us on Google News and never miss breaking stories, investigations, and in-depth reporting. Add as a preferred source on Google /* 1. Wrapper & Container / .gn-wrapper { width: 100%; padding: 20px 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; } .gn-card { width: 100%; max-width: 600px; background: #ffffff; padding: 28px; border-radius: 16px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.08); font-family: 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; } / 2. Header & Premium Times Logo / .gn-header { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 14px; margin-bottom: 16px; } .gn-logo { height: 36px; / Slightly larger to balance the new text sizes / width: auto; object-fit: contain; } .gn-title { font-size: 22px; margin: 0; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: 800; } / 3. The Bold Description / .gn-description { font-size: 18px; / Larger size / font-weight: 600; / Bolder weight / color: #202124; / Darker for readability / margin: 0 0 24px 0; line-height: 1.5; } / 4. The High-Impact Button / .gn-button { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 12px; padding: 14px 24px; border: 1px solid #dadce0; border-radius: 30px; / Modern pill shape / text-decoration: none; background: #ffffff; color: #3c4043; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(60,64,67,0.1); } .gn-button-text { font-size: 17px; / Increased font size / font-weight: 700; / Maximum boldness / letter-spacing: 0.1px; } .gn-button:hover { background: #f8f9fa; border-color: #d2d2d2; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(60,64,67,0.2); transform: translateY(-1px); } .gn-icon { width: 22px; / Matched to larger text size / height: 22px; object-fit: contain; } / 5. 📱 Mobile Optimization / @media (max-width: 480px) { .gn-card { padding: 20px; } .gn-header { flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-start; gap: 10px; } .gn-title { font-size: 20px; } .gn-description { font-size: 16px; } .gn-button { width: 100%; justify-content: center; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 14px 10px; } .gn-button-text { font-size: 15px; / Scaled slightly for small screens / } } “People need to observe good eye health habits. Eye health is something no one should take for granted. “Self-medication, buying drugs or eye drops over the counter without seeing an optometrist or a professional eye doctor, can lead to irreversible complications or blindness,” he said. The optometrist also urged individuals to undergo regular medical check-ups and seek proper diagnosis and treatment in hospitals. He noted that several systemic health conditions, if poorly managed, could have serious implications for eye health. “Some health conditions which affect the body also manifest in the eye, especially when not properly managed. “Conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis, syphilis, thyroid diseases and HIV/AIDS can lead to vision-threatening problems,” he said. READ ALSO: How computer, phone usage can damage your eyes – Optometrist Mr Ezeanowai explained that poorly controlled hypertension could damage the retina, leading to conditions such as hypertensive retinopathy, macular oedema, retinal artery or vein occlusion, optic neuropathy and glaucoma. He added that unmanaged diabetes could result in diabetic eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, neovascular glaucoma, retinal haemorrhages, diabetic macular edema and cataract. He emphasised that adherence to prescribed medications and routine hospital visits were key to preventing such complications. “The major way to prevent these conditions from affecting the eyes is to ensure regular health check-ups and proper medical examinations,” he said. 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