Are These Filipino Superstitions About Your Eye True? (Part 2)
Filipinos are known to be superstitious folks. We’ve got so many and a lot of those passed down from our ancestors and grandparents.
It’s all fun but sometimes, some superstitions might be harmful.
That’s why we’ve compiled another list of crazy Filipino superstitions related to your eye that we’ve heard and asked help from expert optometrists to help us separate the facts from superstition.
1. After Too Much Reading, People That Wash Their Faces Will Increase The Power of the Eyes
Just like in Part 1 of “Are These Filipino Superstitions About Your Eye True?”, there is no truth to this myth.
Washing your face will not cause you pasma or blindness, but it will also not increase the power of your eyes after you’ve done too much reading.
But washing your face will help remove the multiple irritants you have been exposed throughout your day.
Dr. Tom Jamora of Jamora Clinic Artificial Eye recommends that you have your eyes refracted by your trusted optometrist and it should be done annually to address all your eye concerns and symptoms.
2. Calamansi as Cure for Sore Eyes
“I remembered someone saying before of using calamansi juice to treat sore eyes,” says Dr. Millette Romualdez of Gold Heart Optical Centre Philippines.
According to Dr. Romualdez, putting calamansi directly on the eye, which is an acid, will definitely cause irritation and stinging. Although you may read some articles that calamansi may have antimicrobial effects, the suitability for direct instillation to the eye has no evidence to be beneficial, it may actually be dangerous.
All eye drops need to be sterile and adjusted to the pH of the eye before they can be released in the market.
3. A Cataract Must be “Ripe” Before it is Removed.
One of the most common age-related eye problems includes cataracts. And you might have heard your grandparents saying to wait for it to “ripen”
Well, there is some truth to that, in the 1990’s when advances in technology weren’t available.
But this time around, waiting for it to ripen or harden will probably be more harmful.
Dr. Lady May Sumaylo of Sumaylo Vision Care Clinic says that the changes in vision can greatly impact an individual’s quality of life.
“They don’t have to live with cataracts, and delaying cataract surgery isn’t always the best choice. I always give extra time to educate patients that at the early stage, new eyeglasses may restore good vision but over time the vision will not be as good even with another new pair of eyeglasses again.”
“Thanks to my exposure in CHH-EI and AEI, explaining the modern advances in cataract surgery to patients and referring them to Opthalmologists makes it less challenging. Investing in an instrument where you can take shots and let the patients see what you are talking about is a plus because it will be easier for them to understand what’s happening inside their eyes.”
So tell your old folks who have cataract that rather than waiting for it to ripe, they might as well drop by a visit to their favorite optometrist like Dr. Lady May Sumaylo in their humble clinic in the small town in Zamboanga del Peninsula.
4. Optometrists Just Make Eyeglasses
Some patients say that one must go see an Ophthalmologist and not an Optometrist because they are not real doctors, says Dr. Rheza Badon-Tabasuares of RSB Optical Clinic.
Optometrists and Ophthalmologists are Eye Care Professionals.
We have the knowledge, education and experience in examining the human eye and recommend appropriate management to patients.
People must be educated and be aware on what Optometrists are capable of. Not just by doing stand-alone refraction and dispensing spectacles.
An optometrist is a primary eye care provider that serves as front liners in eye care profession.
5. Cleaning Everyday Keeps My Prosthetic Eye Okay
Speaking of optometrists, one particular doctor who handles prosthetic eyes often gets into arguments with his patients because of a myth where they think that removing and cleaning their prosthetic eye daily means having a cleaner prosthetic eye.
Cleaning everyday might make your home a little cleaner and healthier but that’s totally different from your prosthetic eye.
According to Dr. Mark Paroli of Soliman Paroli Eyecare, cleaning your prosthetic eye or artificial eye daily may cause more harm than help.
First, if you remove your prosthetic eye every day, the conjunctiva may be stretched and deformed. It could also cause friction due to the unusual rubbing of the conjunctiva and the prosthesis.
Second, you may introduce bacteria and other foreign materials, such as eyelashes.
And lastly, it may disturb the environment inside your eye socket and the mucus covering your prosthetic eye, which usually takes 3-4 weeks to develop, as well as a reduced wettability of the surface of the prosthetic eye if it’s cleaned daily.
The main response of the eye socket to these 3 reasons is usually conjunctival inflammation and excessive mucoid discharge which prompts the user to wash it as soon as possible.
According to research, the best time to clean a Prosthetic Eye would be Monthly, but it still would depend on the case of the person’s eye health history, but it’s rarely everyday.
Ask Your Optometrist
We hoped we were able to help you get enlightened on some superstitions.
We also hope that you have any questions related to your eye, it is best to run to your nearest optical clinic and consult an optometrist rather than listen to Filipino superstitions that have been passed down through generations.
