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Eye check-up and spectacles for patients from Valpoi: eye flu, school eyes and spectacles in the damp

Sattari's long, heavy monsoon shapes eye health in its own ways: eye flu spreading through schools and homes, spectacles that fog and grow fungus, and children who only get their eyes checked when a teacher notices. This page covers all three, and how to plan a visit from Valpoi. ReNew Vision Eye Hospital is in Vasco, not in Valpoi: 2nd floor, Pai Hospital building, Vaddem Merces Road, Vaddem, Vasco da Gama.

Eye flu (conjunctivitis) in the monsoon

Eye flu usually starts in one eye and spreads to the other: redness, watering, a gritty feeling, sticky lids in the morning, sometimes a cold or a fever. Most cases caused by a virus settle by themselves in one to two weeks, but it spreads very easily.

• Wash hands often, do not share towels, pillows or kajal, and wipe each eye with a separate clean tissue or cloth.
• Keep children with eye flu at home from school until the eyes stop discharging.
• Do not use drops left over from someone else's illness, and do not buy steroid drops without a prescription: they can make some infections much worse.
• Come in the same day if there is pain, blurred vision that does not clear with blinking, sensitivity to light, a contact lens wearer's red eye, or a newborn baby with sticky eyes.

Emergency eye care at ReNew Vision is available 24 hours on 072489 88039.

School eye checks for Sattari children

Children in village schools rarely say they cannot see; they simply fall behind. Before the school year starts in June, or when a teacher mentions a problem, a children's eye check-up is worthwhile. Watch for:

• sitting close to the board or the TV, squinting, or tilting the head;
• an eye that turns in or out, or a white patch in the pupil, which needs prompt attention;
• headaches or rubbing the eyes after homework.

Children are often given drops that relax their focusing so that the true power can be measured. The Vision Correction Centre makes sturdy children's frames in the same building. See spectacles for children.

Spectacles in one of Goa's wettest talukas

Months of damp air fog lenses, rust screws and let fungus grow on lenses and inside cases. To keep spectacles clear:

• rinse with clean water, dry with a soft cotton cloth, and store them dry in a hard case, not in a damp bag or pocket;
• open the case and air the spectacles on dry days; a sachet of silica gel in the drawer helps;
• bring spectacles in if spots will not wipe off, or if the frame loosens, so the Vision Correction Centre can check them.

More in caring for spectacles in humid weather.

What the check-up includes

The vision and spectacle power test, the eye pressure, and an examination of the front of the eye, the lens and the retina, often after drops that widen the pupils. For anyone over 40, or with diabetes or high BP, the pressure check and the retina examination matter as much as the power. See the complete eye check-up.

Getting to Vasco from Valpoi

By car, about 56 km: SH 1 through Honda to Sankhali, across the Mandovi at Amona, towards Old Goa and south through Neura to the new Zuari bridge, then the Vasco road (NH 366). Allow about an hour and a half. KTC buses run from Valpoi to Panjim, around two hours, and KTC shuttles go on to Vasco. We can collect you from your home and drop you back, at zero cost to the patient; call 072489 88039. See coming from another town.

Planning the visit

• The Eye OPD runs Monday to Saturday, 4 pm to 7 pm, Friday included; Sunday OPD is closed. Leave Valpoi by about 2 pm.
• After dilating drops, do not drive or ride home; vision is blurred for a few hours and the road back is dark.
• If several family members need checks, say so when you call.
• Ask when the spectacles will be ready, so the collection trip can be planned.

Questions patients ask

My child has eye flu. Should she go to school?

Keep her at home until the eyes stop discharging, because eye flu spreads easily. Wash hands often and do not share towels. Come in if there is pain, blurred vision or sensitivity to light.

Can I use leftover eye drops for eye flu?

No. Drops from someone else's illness, and steroid drops bought without a prescription, can make some eye infections much worse. Have the eye examined if it does not settle.

There are spots on my spectacles that will not wipe off. What are they?

In damp weather it may be fungus or damage to a lens coating. Store spectacles dry in a hard case, and bring them in so the Vision Correction Centre can check them.

How do we reach ReNew Vision from Valpoi?

By car, about 56 km via Honda, Sankhali, Amona and Old Goa, roughly an hour and a half. By bus, take a KTC bus to Panjim and a shuttle to Vasco. We can also collect you from your home.

Is ReNew Vision in Valpoi?

No. ReNew Vision Eye Hospital is only in Vaddem, Vasco da Gama, about 56 km from Valpoi.

This page is general eye-health information, not personal medical advice. Your eye doctor advises you after examining your eyes.