Whilst the Woodseats and Crosspool practices are shut, optometrists Alex and Sarah have been using their time to keep up to date on all matters optical through webinars and online learning.
On one webinar recently, we learned that some Muslims stop taking drops during Ramadan. We’d urge people not to stop taking drops. If you have been prescribed drops for your glaucoma, it is essential you continue to take them throughout Ramadan to prevent damage to your sight. There are over 50,000 Muslims with glaucoma.
The International Glaucoma Association has launched a campaign to make eye drops part of a Ramadan routine: wake, drops, eat, pray, done!
A study by St Paul’s Eye Unit in the Royal Liverpool University Hospital found almost half of Muslims worry that using eye drops can break their fast, especially when the excess drop drains down the back of the throat and can be tasted.
As eye drops are not considered food or drink by most Sunni or Shi’a schools, they don’t break your fast. But if you are still worried, there are some things you can do for additional reassurance.
One is to block your tear duct by pressing on the corner of your eye next to your nose, immediately after putting in your drops. This stops the drops reaching the back of your throat, and keeps them in your eye, where they need to be.
If in doubt, you can choose to use your drops before suhoor and after iftar.
For more information, including a list of Q&As, head to the IGA website here or if you have any questions, you can call Alex on 0114 274 8582 or 0114 266 7066 or e mail alex@alexgagevision.co.uk