Wrong Treatment For Apollo Can Lead To Blindness—Doctor

Joe Nkalu, a commercial tricycle (Keke) rider, knew he was in a big trouble when one of his children, Israel, woke up one morning with conjunctivitis, popularly known as ‘Apollo’ in Nigeria.

He knew that each time the infection had hit a member of his household, it had spread to all the other members including himself, and his own case was usually worse because it always took a long time before the infection left him.

“He got it from one of the children in the school and as I predicted, the youngest of my children took over from him and then it spread to the other two children, to my wife and finally to me,” he narrated.

The Keke rider stated that he had tried the eye ointment which he had bought from a pharmacy close to his house, but that the eyes refused to heal as fast as he wanted them to.

Nkalu was advised by one of his neighbours to put some drops of fuel in his eyes, that it would help rid his eyes of the stubborn Apollo and he heeded the advice.

Nkalu experienced the most excruciating pain after the fuel treatment while the inflammation in his eyes doubled, causing him to seek immediate help from a nearby pharmacy.

He was lucky a pharmacist later prescribed an eye drop that gave him some relief.

He said he had learnt his lesson and would never do anything foolish to jeopardize his sight again.

The symptoms of Conjunctivitis include redness, itching and teariagain the eyes. It can also cause some discharge or crusting around the eyes.

While recommended eye drops are mostly used to take care of the infections, THE WHISTLER gathered that many Nigerians, like Nkalu, opt for unconventional ways like applying urine or breast milk to the eyes, which often proves harmful.

“I apply early morning urine to my eyes and it works,” said Adaku Uzo, a teacher.
She said that whenever she came in contact with someone with conjunctivitis and felt an itchy sensation in her eye, that she hurriedly dropped urine in her eyes and the itching stopped.

Uzo however confessed that when the inflammation had over-blown, the urine sometimes did not stop the infection.

“I recommended it to my neighbour but it didn’t work for her. I guess it was because she applied it late,” explained Uzo.

But Consultant and Family Physician, Dr Agbor Neji Ebuta, has warned against the use of unconventional methods in treating conjunctivitis, stating that the use of fuel, breast milk, urine and others could lead to blindness.

“Starting with urine, it contains different chemicals, mostly waste chemicals. It can also contain bacteria which can add implication to the eye. Bacteria can cause infection and worsen conjunctivitis, or the chemicals can cause irritation to the eyes,” he explained.
Ebuta, who is also the Vice President of the Medical Initiative for Africa, a non-governmental organization, stated that just like urine, breast milk may also carry bacteria or worsen conjunctivitis if introduced to the eye.

And concerning the use of fuel, the medical doctor explained that it is toxic and can worsen the inflammation of the eye.

“What is common is that all these situations or scenarios can endanger the eyesight and should be avoided,” he said.

He added that the use of these interventions which might be driven by traditional belief, folklore or anecdotes, will only delay appropriate treatment and diagnosis and cause the infection to continue to fester.

“These unconventional practices have been known to lead to blindness or scarring of the tissues around the eye, with various implications,” he disclosed.

Ebuta explained further, “Cornea scarring can cause visual impairment to a large extent. You see situations where people lose their vision due to the use of inappropriate interventions in managing eye conditions. So it should be frowned against and detested.”

The physician stated that the eye is like a major torchlight that allows one to appreciate the world around, adding that the loss of one’s sight can be a major challenge.

He therefore urged Nigerians to avoid self-medication as it might endanger their sight and lead to blindness.

“People should do all they can to protect their eyes. Part of it is to ensure that they don’t engage in harmful self-care practices like the use of non-medically recommended eye interventions and other caustic and unknown interventions. It is critical that they always remember that,” he warned.
He also advised Nigerians to enroll in health insurance programs in either the public or private schemes, that will allow them access to any form of healthcare services in an affordable framework.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), conjunctivitis can be caused by allergies or a bacterial or viral infection.

Most cases of viral conjunctivitis are mild, and would usually clear up in seven to 14 days without treatment and without any long-term consequences. However, a doctor can prescribe antiviral medication for the treatment of viral conjunctivitis that takes two to three weeks or more to clear up.

For Bacterial Conjunctivitis, the mild one may get better without antibiotic treatment and without causing any complications. It often improves in two to five days without treatment, but can take at least two weeks to go away completely.

However, antibiotics may help shorten the length of the infection, reduce complications, and reduce its spread.