Bakit ayaw magpa-opera ng katarata ang ibang pasyente?

Marami na kaming napuntahan at na screen para sa katarata.  Karamihan din sa kanila kahit sabihan mo na mabubulag na sila pag ayaw magpa-opera, ayaw pa rin talaga.  Bakit kaya hinihintay ng ibang tao na halos mabulag muna bago lumapit sa doktor?  Marami na kaming narinig na dahilan pero nung may nabasa akong artikulo sa Community Eye Health Journal naconfirm ko na halos kahit saang bahagi ng mundo pare-pareho ang rason ng mga tao.  Ilan sa mga dahilan ay ito:

1. Takot - may narinig na k'wento na si ganito ay naoperahan sa katarata at nabulag.  Inoperahan pero hindi rin makakita.  Nasira ang mata dahil sa operasyon.
2. Gastos (oras at pera) - marami sa aming mga nakilalang pasyente, ayaw maiwan ang mga alagang baboy, manok, atbp.  Kung minsan nga nasasagot ko pa na: "mas importante pala ang baboy kesa sa inyong paningin?"  Pero kung makita mo o nalaman mo na may mga taong ang pagkain na ihahain sa mesa ay nakadepende kung nagtrabaho ka ngayong araw o hindi, (isang kahig isang tuka) malamang maaawa ka na lang.  Isa pa sa malaking rason ay ang gastos sa pamasahe papunta sa doktor maliban sa bayad sa konsultasyon ng doktor dahil minsan mas mahal pa ang pamasahe sa konsultasyon lalo pa at  kailangan ng tagabantay o kaagapay ang pasyente.
3. Ugali at Paniniwala - may ugali ang ibang tao na kayaan na lang kasi matanda na o kaya paniniwala na bigay ito ng Diyos kaya tanggapin na lang.  O kaya minsan sasabihin ng kapamilya na wala namang silbi kaya hayaan na lang.
4. Hindi ko kailangan magpagamot, kaya ko ito - para sa ibang pasyente ayos lang sa kanila na hindi sila makakita kaya naman nila.  Nasanay na lang na malabo ang paningin at sayang lang ang pera na gagastusin.
5. Mahal magpaopera ng katarata - kung lumagpas na sa ikaapat ang rason ng pasyente, tiyak ito na yun.  May mga pasyente naman na gustong-gusto magpaopera hindi lang kaya ang mga gastusin.  Napakamahal naman kasi ang singil ng ibang ophthalmologist.  Mababa na ang Php20,000 sa isang mata.

Nagtataka ka pa ba kung bakit maraming nabubulag sa katarata o hinahayaan na lang ang sitwasyon na hindi makakita?  Ilan lamang ito sa mga rason.  Ano ang magandang gawin?  Suportahan sana ng lokal na gobyerno ang pangangailangang ganito.  May ibang LGUs na tumutulong magbigay ng pamasahe, pambili ng gamot, sasakyan papunta sa doktor, at minsan sagot nila ang counterpart ng pasyente lalo pa at walang PhilHealth.  Sana dumami pa sila.  Marami sa ating mga ophthalmologists ay willing tumulong at mag opera kahit libre pero marami din sa kanila sakim sa pera.  Kahit kita naman nila walang-wala talaga, pipilitin nilang mangutang para lang may ipambayad.  Hindi ko naman sinabing i-libre na lang pero sana may 'socialized payment' sila na papipilian sa kanilang pasyente depende sa kung ano ang kakayanan ng pamilya pagdating sa pinansiyal na estado.  Hindi p'wedeng 50k ang singil mo sa lahat ng pasyente.  Maging makatao ka.  Hindi pera ang sinumpaan mo sa iyong propesyon kundi ang tumulong, makatulong sa mga nangangailangan.

Facebook Marketing Helps

Got this letter below early morning today and I am reminded that nowadays when you need help it's just a click away.  So it is better that we market what we do in most of the social networking sites where people frequently use and visit. ;) If you have not done so, today is the time to start.  Happy Monday everyone ;_)


Email: clarissa cabrera
The following text was sent to you on 
through your website contact form:

The IP of the visitor was 112.200.94.39, the message was sent at (GMT)good evening.

as i was searching for a foundation for a mother's friend now diagnosed with cataract, i saw your foundation in facebook. 

i am clarissa cabrera, here in NCR area. I was informed earlier by a frined that his mother was diagnosed with cataract, and the doctor said that it should be opeerated ASAP but as of the moment, he cannot push through the operation due to financial reasons. He is just a comapny driver and earning just enough for his family. and currently his mother is in BICOL.

May i ask if you can help my mother's friend to see again? 

PLease please...this will be a very special gift for them.

You can reach me to my personal mobile number - xxxxxxxxxxx

Thank you very much and more power to your foundation.


Respectfully yours, 

Clarissa Cabrera

Email: clarissa cabrera
The following text was sent to you on 
through your website contact form:

The IP of the visitor was 112.200.94.39, the message was sent at (GMT)

Cataract in Children

Meet Fritz Salas, a 5 year old boy from Bacolod City.  He was brought to our office by his lola, who was referred by a politician (part of their election campaign).  We let him read letters and he passed it but when we checked his eyes with an ophthalmoscope, the pupils have very little reaction so we referred them to the eye clinic for further check up.

When the lola returned after a few hours, it was confirmed that Fritz has indeed cataract on both eyes.  Upon interview we learned that he together with his one brother was abandoned by both the parents and now their lola is taking care of them.

I asked him to look at the camera when I was taking the picture and this is how he looked straight.  Always head down and tilting as maybe he's trying to get some vision from the periphery.

He must be cleared by the pediatrician first for the surgery before we can schedule him for operation. 

Friends you may know someone somewhere like Fritz who's struggling in life because of sight threatening conditions like cataract, squint, or may need a mere eye glasses to improve their vision but too poor to consult an eye doctor, please refer them to us.  Any part of the Philippines doesn't matter we can do miracles by referring them to our partners.  Just contact us.  You can text +639228606763 or call +63 34 4350714 (telefax), or e-mail us @ cataractfoundation@gmail.com

Let us help our children now because for them love is spelled as T I M E =)

Cataract due to Diabetes

Emmanuel Nobre from Kabankalan City came to us last April 14, 2010.  I found him young to be operated on for cataract and i got curious what caused the amputated foot. 

Years back he was diagnosed to have diabetes but didn't mind it until a wound on his toe started swelling and took really long time to heal.  It was too late when he decided to consult a doctor.  He has no choice but to have it amputated. To worsen the situation his vision was affected too.  Suddenly things are not clear anymore.  Losing a foot and eventually losing the eye sight is not something to look forward to in the future. 

Good thing is that he has been referred to our partner NGO, NORFI, and he will have a leg prosthesis soon. =)  He's quite hesitant to submit himself for cataract surgery but we encouraged him to go for it. Take a risk and hope for the best rather than have a dark life for whatever years he still has. 

There may be more Emmanuel Nobre's that you know of. Tell them to take action when they have diabetes as it can cause them to be blind.  Don't wait too long as it may too late when they have gather their courage to consult a doctor.  It is a must that if you have diabetes, you must see an eye doctor at least twice a year.

Here in Bacolod City we have a regular eye screening every Wednesday, IT IS FOR FREE, come before 1pm in the chapel of Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital (Riverside Hospital)

You may also call +63 4 4350714 or text +639228606763 for further inquiries.

on CATARACTS

Cataracts

Normally light enters the eye from the front, passes through a clear lens, and reaches the back of the eye so you can see.
If the lens becomes cloudy like frosted glass, light cannot pass through, and you cannot see properly. 'Cataract' is the name of the 'cloudy' human lens.
Think of a camera, with a lens that bends the light so that the light 'focuses' onto the film at the back. If this lens becomes scratched or greasy, it cannot bend the light in the correct direction, and the light is scattered in all directions. You may notice blurred or misty sight, see double, or notice colours appear much duller than they did previously.

top: a clear lens, no cataract. Light enters the eye directly

bottom: a cloudy lens = a cataract. Light entering the eye is scattered

What you can do

A cataract will not damage your eye in any way.  It can be operated on safely at any time, thick or thin. A cataract may change the focusing in the eye, and you may need new spectacles now and again. But glasses themselves do not help you see better if you have a cataract.
Some cataracts get worse quickly, others slowly: most do get worse over months or years. If your sight gets worse very slowly, the cataract is only slowly becoming thick.
The thicker or cloudier the cataract becomes, the worse the sight.  A doctor cannot predict with certainty.

Reading

Large print is naturally much easier to read, and a magnifying glass may help.  A good light may help, particularly an anglepoise light behind the shoulder. Stronger glasses that mean you can bring books closer to your eye to make reading easier, and an optician (optometrist) can advise you.

Driving

You may notice great difficulty driving at night, when car headlights are shining into your eye. This may be so bad you have to stop driving at night, and at this stage, if you want to keep driving, you may need a cataract operation.

Sunlight

You may notice difficulty seeing in sunlight. Dark glasses may help, or a hat with a large peak. Eventually you usually need an operation.

Causes of cataracts

Cataracts occur as people get older. They are much commoner if you smoke, whether cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe. They occur more often in diabetes, and they can run in families. Steroid tablets may help to cause cataracts if given at a high dose or for a long time. There are many other causes, including other types of eye disease and eye injury.

Does a cataract damage the eye, or your other eye?

A cataract does not usually damage your eye in any way. A cataract in one eye cannot lead to any damage in the other eye, and you cannot use the good eye too much and damage it. Similarly, sit close to the television if this helps you see it better: this will not damage your eyes. A cataract often develops in the other eye, but many people only get one in one eye.

Will your sight get worse?

Many cataracts do get worse, especially if you are middle aged and have diabetes. Many people with diabetes do eventually need cataract surgery.

Does a diet help?

There is no specific diet or drug treatment for cataracts, but following UK Department of Health advice may help: a diet low in animal fat and salt, with five portions of vegetables or fruit a day, with 30 minutes exercise such as walking, and not smoking.
In diabetes, diet, control of the blood sugar and blood pressure are important to prevent other problems.


When do you need an operation and should you control your diabetes?

An operation to remove the cataract is usually the only way to make improve your sight. But before you can decide, you need to know the pros and cons of an operation. A cataract operation is generally safe, and with a surgeon who is experienced in cataract keyhole surgery, the risk of a serious problem is about 1%.
So in a way you are the best person to decide: certainly, if you cannot do what you want to do, such as read, watch TV,  or walk in the street, an operation is usually helpful (if your eye has no other conditions.) Remember, many patients who have surgery are in their 80's.
The diabetes ideally should be controlled before surgery, as otherwise complications are more likely. 

The Operation

Typically, you have the operation as a day case. You go to the hospital in the morning, and go home later that day. You have a local anaesthetic injection, wait for it to work, then have the operation which takes about 20-30 minutes. A key hole operation is often used: a small tube is inserted into the eye to suck the cataract out, and a plastic lens implant is put in its place. The plastic lens implant is placed in the 'capsule' of the cataract.
Routinely, the only major discomfort can be the local anaesthetic injection. At home, you have drops to put in, and routinely have one or two visits to the hospital, before seeing your optician for glasses. Normally after an operation, you see well.
However, if there are other problems in your eye, such as a damaged retina (the film at the back of the eye), your sight will not be so good. In diabetes the operation may make the retinopathy worse and laser may be needed. Often the ophthalmologist recommends laser before the operation to try and stabilise the retinopathy.
You usually do need glasses after an operation, because the implant cannot change its focus like a camera. You may need reading or distance glasses, or both.

A small hole is made in the side of the eye and a probe is placed in the eye to cut and suck the cataract out.	A plastic lens is placed in the eye to replace the cataract. The lens focuses the light onto the retina, like the lens of a camera.

Extra risks in diabetes

Unfortunately a few people do develop problems. Without diabetes, there is 1 in 100 risk of severe complications such as needing a second operation, infection, etc. But in diabetes there is a slightly greater risk of such problems as:

• macula oedema
• complications from proliferative retinopathy
• the retinopathy itself may progress see
• higher risk of infections