Headmaster’s look or Beyonce pose?, wearing glasses, not a joy ride

DAR ES SALAAM: IT was a cool evening at Marangu Bus Stand when Innocent Shirima walked out of Marangu Express with a light handbag.

Looking very smart in da ark suit, with a pair of glasses hanging on his neck, Shirima looked like a successful Secondary School teacher. But in reality, he was a bus conductor returning home for the Christmas festive season.

“Since many people from Marangu are well-educated, when you come home, you have to show people that you have also been to school. You have to wear glasses to prove it,” he said on 16th December, 2024.

His glasses give him a what they used to call a headmaster look, during their school era.

He said that people used to wear glasses due to social attitudes that indicated the wearers were scholars, such as doctors, teachers, and others.

However, He explained that among them were people who wore glasses to be respected by society, while they did not have eye problems.

In many Tanzanian urban centers, wearing glasses is part of modernity, and for many girls and young women, celebrities — most notably world figures like Beyoncé Knowles —are the biggest influence on their glasses-wearing culture.

As pointed Esther Stephen, a digital media expert,  in this digital world, the wearing of glasses has also been increasing rapidly, with the goal no longer being respectable but beauty or fashion.

Ms Stephen said wearing glasses as a fashion and it’s an unavoidable thing for her due to the way it changes her appearance and makes her look good.

“I bought this after my first pair of glasses were stolen and I love wearing them no matter what, I can’t stop wearing them,” she insists.

But randomly wearing glasses can be very dangerous to the wearer, as cautioned an eye Specialist (ophthalmologist)  from CCBRT Hospital, Cyprian Ntomoka, who went on to outline the risks that a person who wears glasses without a specialist’s recommendation will face.

Wearers at risk

Dr Ntomoka tells Daily News Digital that people who wear glasses without being examined or without a doctor’s recommendation are at greater risk of developing eye complications because glasses affect the optic nerves.

Dr Ntomoka has said that the effects on the optic nerves cause poor vision.

“There are people who like to wear glasses without even knowing the consequences. I want to tell you that any glasses you wear are harmful to eye health to a large extent.

He adds, “The indiscriminate wearing of glasses causes damage to the optic nerves, and this often leads to poor vision, which is where eye problems begin for some people,” he explains.

According to Dr. Ntowoka, 24 percent of eye problems are due to poor vision after the optic nerves are affected, where one of the causes is the indiscriminate wearing of glasses without consulting health professionals.

“I advise people before they wear glasses to have their eye health tested so that the doctor can give them glasses that are suitable for their problem. Indiscriminate wearing can further affect the eyes,” he advises.

Eyes treated with glasses

He says three factors that contribute to the increase in eye problems treated with glasses.

Dr. Ntomoka says eye problems treated with glasses are caused by three things, including the increase in awareness about the importance of wearing glasses.

” Education has been provided by experts, so the problems may not have increased, but awareness, as the number of people who seek eye services has increased.

“They were listening to false words, for example, if you wear glasses, your eyes go inwards, they become small or large, there were many beliefs, and because of those beliefs, people are afraid to wear them.

Another reason that Dr. Ntomoka identifies is the increase in eye problems caused by genetics, such as when a person is short or tall, there are many whose eyeball is short or long, usually 22 or 24 millimeters.

He says there are eye problems inherited from parents, so they have a genetic problem, it does not mean the eye is bad or perfect but it is small or large.

“If it is small, light does not reach the central part, the eye uses a lot of energy to see, that is why you will find your head hurts and light hurts because the eye muscles are struggling to gather light with force.

He also notes that there is a genetic problem that a person gets after birth, where recently children have problems.

“When a child is born from 0-8, the visual system is immature, and for it to mature, the eye must be able to see because it is young and is at risk of genetic mutation for some reason.

He added: “You look close, the eye contracts and becomes long to see near and to see far, the eye contracts and the muscles work without you knowing.

He says the habit of locking children inside and giving them phones, watching TV for a long time the results in the eyes staying in focus for a long time. When it reaches six years, it becomes long from front to back, which becomes serious.

He says the result is that the child does not see well far away and the eyes are only strong to see near.

“When a child plays outside, the eyes look far and become strong, while when they look near, the eyes see near, and this happens when they are young.

He says another reason is the age of 40 years, where a person is unable to see near.

“In the city, we say writing, and in the village, for example, a person cannot cut their nails properly or thread a needle.

Dr. Ntomoka says that many children who are diagnosed with the need to wear glasses, parents often object by saying they are still young and not worthy.

“He wants medicine, but they refuse children from wearing it. To mature the eye when it crosses the age of eight, it becomes mature and cannot be corrected. Children end up having eye problems, meaning the eye becomes stunted.

Why is lighting important

According to Dr. Ntomoka, it is not just glasses that are dangerous to the eyes if misused; he has also mentioned the use of bright light devices.

This is because the lubricating fluid in the eyes dries up, and if the eyes are dry, they can itch, tear, hurt, and sometimes become red.

“This is what we call ‘Computer Vision Syndromes’, a collection of discomfort that a person experiences from the use of bright light devices.

“It is a big challenge, we receive many patients who work on computers and often come complaining of eye pain.

It is important for people to know that prolonged use of computers, phones, and other devices with bright lights is harmful to the eyes,” notes Dr. Ntomoka.

He explains that in his clinic, he sees five to 10 patients a day who have suffered eye damage from the use of bright lights.

“The effects may not be visible now, but after a few years, your eyes will start to hurt. In my clinic, I find many people with this problem. Every day, I see forty patients, of whom five to ten suffer from these problems,” he explains.

Dr. Ntomoka urges people to follow advice on the correct use of light-emitting devices, such as reducing the light and resting their eyes for 20 minutes every hour.

“People should gain knowledge on the correct use of computers so that they do not suffer from eye problems, they should follow the advice of ophthalmologists on the use of smartphones, computers, TVs, tablets and others.

It is also important to wear glasses that filter out light or rest your eyes every 20 to 30 minutes,” advises Dr. Ntomoka.

He says adults often suffer from eye strain due to age or illness.

TMDA regulates medical glasses

The Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) is responsible for ensuring that medical devices in the country are safe and properly tested.

Speaking to Dailynews Digital, the Director of Medical Devices and Reagents Regulation, Kissa Mwamwitwa, says TMDA regulates glasses, which are medical devices such as those with lenses.

“There are many types of glasses, there are optical lenses, we regulate those that are medical, but we do not regulate those that are cosmetic, we still look at medical lenses. We collaborate with various people to monitor us,” Kissa insists.

He says it is important for users to follow the required steps.

“What is required before a person wears glasses is if they have eye problems, they should see an eye specialist who can advise them on what type of glasses they can wear.

“But also, if you need to wear glasses even if you have no problem, it is good to see an eye doctor so that he can give you the right information, even when you decide you know that this thing can cause harm, seeking the right education is important,” says Mwamwitwa.

He says some glasses are used for bright sunlight, farsightedness, nearsightedness, reading, blindness in the dark, and headaches.