DEPARTMENT OF OPTOMETRY

This study examined the level of awareness and understanding of low vision and blindness within the University of Benin community. The research aimed to explore prevailing perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge gaps regarding visual impairments among students, faculty, and staff members. A sample population of 403 respondents was used for the study.

A mixed-methods research approach involving surveys and interviews was adopted to obtain comprehensive insights into the community’s knowledge and perceptions of visual impairments. The study investigated common misconceptions about low vision and blindness, societal attitudes toward affected individuals, and the availability of support systems and resources within the university environment. Data collected from participants were analyzed using tables and simple percentages.

The findings revealed a relatively high level of awareness among respondents, with 86.1% indicating familiarity with low vision and 96.0% acknowledging awareness of blindness. Despite this level of awareness, several misconceptions and societal perceptions regarding visual impairments were identified. These misconceptions highlight the need for improved education and awareness programs within the university community.

The study concludes that while awareness of visual impairments exists within the University of Benin community, there is still a need to address knowledge gaps and societal misconceptions. It recommends the implementation of targeted educational initiatives and support programs to promote inclusivity, empathy, and better support for individuals with low vision and blindness.

The purpose of this study was to compare contrast sensitivity and visual acuity with contact lenses and spectacle lenses. This study involved a total of 30 participants, with a mean age of 22.10 ±3.66 years. Participants comprised of males (n = 13) and females (n = 17), who are myopic and hyperopic. Visual acuity was measured using a Snellen's chart at a distance of 6 m, and contrast sensitivity was determined by Pelli Robson chart at a distance of 1 m, one hour adaptation was given for the contact lens. The powers of the spectacle lenses are equivalent to the powers of the contact lenses. The results of the contrast sensitivity score and visual acuity measurement was compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for non-parametric data to determine whether or not there were statistically significant differences in VA and Contrast Sensitivity using spectacles and contact lenses. The finding of this study reveals that there was no significant difference in visual acuity using both spectacle lens and contact lens ((p > 0.05, where p>0.05334). However, the result of this analysis shows a significant difference in contrast sensitivity using contact lens and spectacle lens (p < 0.05, where p<0.00137). In conclusion, this study show that soft contact lenses enhances visual performance and vision
quality with increase in contrast sensitivity better than spectacle lenses And that the choice of refractive correction has impact on visual performance for the majority of myopic and hypertrophy patients.

Eye safety is an important aspect of occupational and academic health, particularly in practical fields such as agriculture where students are frequently exposed to dust, chemicals, sharp tools, and other potential hazards that may cause eye injuries. This study examines the level of awareness of eye safety practices among students in the Faculty of Agriculture. The study aims to determine students’ knowledge of eye safety measures, their attitudes toward eye protection, and the extent to which they adopt preventive practices during agricultural activities and practical sessions.

A descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. Data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires administered to students in the Faculty of Agriculture. The questionnaire assessed respondents’ awareness of eye hazards, knowledge of protective measures, and their compliance with recommended eye safety practices. The data obtained were analyzed using appropriate descriptive statistical methods.

The findings of the study are expected to reveal the level of awareness of eye safety practices among agriculture students and identify possible gaps in knowledge and practice. The study emphasizes the importance of promoting eye safety education and encouraging the use of protective equipment to reduce the risk of eye injuries among students. It is recommended that institutions incorporate eye safety awareness programs and enforce the use of protective gear during practical agricultural activities.

Lidocaine HCl 1.0%, is a local anaesthetic which is commonly used in the eye care profession during certain diagnostic tests and examinations to produce numbness or loss of sensation on or around the eye to aid certain diagnostic tests and procedures such as tonometry, pachymetry, gonioscopy, foreign body removal etc. It is also the drug of choice for certain ocular surgical procedures such as cataract surgery, pterygium excision, trabeculectomy and other procedures involving periocular structures. This study was carried out to examine and determine the effect of topical lidocaine HCl 1.0% on blink rate, tear stability and tear flow rate. This was an experimental study which was carried out on 36 randomly selected healthy young adults (18 males and 18 females) with mean age 22.61 ± 2.66 years, with no history of contact lens wear, ocular surface disorders, and current use of topical ocular medications. The blink rate, tear stability and tear flow rate of the various participants were obtained before and after the application of lidocaine HCl 1.0% ophthalmic solution. The blink rate per minute was measured with the use of a stopwatch, tear stability was determined through NonInvasive Tear Break Up Time (NITBUT) with a keratometer. The results obtained showed that the mean value of the blink rate, tear stability and tear flow rate decreased after the instillation of lidocaine. There was no significant relationship between gender and the value of the blink rate, tear stability and tear flow rate; there was also no significant relationship between age and the blink rate and tear flow rate but it was observed there was an inverse relationship between age and tear stability. Thus, the use of topical lidocaine HCl 1.0 % is safe for use in the eye care profession but screening for dry eye disease should be carried out before administration of this anaesthetic.

Over the years, studies has been carried out on the effects of various plants on intraocular pressure and blood pressure. However, the numerous benefits Dennettia tripetala on the eye are still unfolding. The work below is the effect of graded doses of pepper fruit extract on intraocular pressure and blood pressure. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of pepper fruit aqueous extract on intraocular pressure and blood pressure using normotensive patients. 60 subjects was be used within the age of 18 – 35years, for the experiment. Intraocular pressure and blood pressure was measured using the Perkins tonometer and Mercury sphygmomanometer before ingestion and at 30 minutes interval for 180 minutes for group A, B and C.The measurement was carried out three times and the average is taken. 50mg/kg, 75mg/kg and 100mg/kg body weight of Dennettia tripetala doses was given to group A, B and C respectively, while group D will be given 500ml of pure water, intraocular pressure and blood pressure was measured at 30 minutes interval for 180 minutes. The data obtained from this study was analysed using repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) as processed by the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 22.0. The result obtained from this study will enlighten optometrist on the effect of Dennettia tripetala on intraocular pressure and blood pressure

Extracts from different parts of the Newbouldia laevis plant (leaves, stem bark and roots bark), have been shown to possess antimicrobial, anti-malarial, antioxidant, nociceptive and antiinflammatory properties. Previous experiments carried out have shown that the extracts from the leaf, stem bark and root bark have anti- inflammatory. But none of these studies have ascertained the IOP reducing effect of the extracts from the leaf, stem bark and root bark of the Newbouldia laevis plant in the eyes which was studied in this investigative work. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethanolic extracts of Newbouldia laevis leaves, stems, and roots on physically induced corneo-conjunctival inflammation and increased intraocular pressure (IOP) in rabbits. Thirty (30) rabbits were used for this study and these rabbits were grouped into six ranging from group A through to group F. Each of the six experimental groups was treated with different extract (leaf, stem, or root) of Newbouldia laevis, while the control group was treated with sterile water. From the study, it was found that all three extracts (leaf, stem, and root) were effective in reducing corneal inflammation and increased IOP, and showed significant differences compared to the control group. ANOVA analysis used on the study showed the statical significant values (p < 0.005 was taken to be statistically significant) of the various treatments for corneal inflammation, ranging from group A- C having p values of: 0.002, 0.001, 0.265, respectively and induced IOP having p values of: 0.002, 0.002, and 0.001, respectively. During the course of this study, the leaf extract was found to be the most potent in the treatment of both the inflammation and induced IOP

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: While existing data shows that increased Intraocular pressure predisposes individuals to glaucoma, it is a challenge figuring out if increased IOP can be traced to myopia. PURPOSE: To investigate if myopia affects IOP in people of various ages and gender. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of one hundred and two (102) myopes of power (- 0.50D to over -6.0D) was recruited for this study. The myopic powers were measured objectively by Retinoscopy and Subjectively by Subjective Refraction with a Trial lens set and Snellens Visual Acuity Chart while the IOP was measured via the Perkins Handheld Applanation tonometer.
DATA ANALYSIS: Data obtained was analyzed with the statistical package for social science (SPSS version 22.0) and the following conclusions were drawn from the results gotten;
i. The study found out that there was no significant difference between IOP in males
and females as p-value was greater than 0.05.
ii. There is statistically significant difference in IOP across the three degrees of myopia groups.
iii. There is statistically significant difference in IOP across the three ages groups. iv. There is no association between gender and degree of myopia in the study population. CONTRIBUTION TO OPTOMETRY: This study was projected to identify and clarify any relationships between Myopia and IOP in people of various ages and gender within the university of Benin, Benin City, Edo state which was actualized with recommendations made.

Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it increases activity in the brain and nervous system. It also increases the circulation of chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline in the body. Caffeine is naturally found in the leaves and fruits of some plants. It is in coffee, black and green tea, cocoa, cola soft drinks and energy drinks. Blinking has been described to occur voluntarily, reflexively or spontaneously. Caffeine is a known stimulant that affects nervous system and probably the most widely consumed psychoactive substance is claimed to have conflicting effects on blink rate and blinking plays a critical role in the health of the eye. This research has assess the influence of caffeinated coffee consumption with blink rate. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of caffeine intake(coffee) on blink rate.The blink rate was measured on a sample of 85 participants in the university of Benin Optometry teaching clinic.The measurements for the test per participants were obtained and afterwards the means were applied in analysis of the result. Mean baseline was 17.38 and the mean blink rates after caffeine consumption was 15.04, 13.91, 12.42, and 16.69 for 15, 30, 45 and 65 minutes respectively. There was a statistically significant reduction in the blink rate of participants after the consumption of caffeine (p < 0.05). It was concluded that caffeine reduces blink rate in adults and excessive intake of caffeine should be avoided since caffeine intake could cause improper functioning of the eye. Keywords: Caffeine, blink rates, Nervous system, coffee

External eye infections occur when harmful microorganisms invade the eyes thereby inflicting harm. Infection in the eyes occurs in three main parts: eyelid, cornea and conjunctiva. The study was carried out to assess bacterial associated with ocular infections. A questionnaire was used to obtain participants demographics and basic general information related to the work. Thereafter samples from 50 healthy students in university of Benin was obtained from the lower cul-de-sac by using a sterile swap stick. Within 4-6 hours of collection, the samples were transported under aseptic condition to the laboratory for analysis. On MacConkey agar, nutrient agar, and mannitol salt agar, the samples were inoculated. The microbes isolated were determined using typical microbial and biological procedures. Antimicrobial test was carried out to ascertain the sensitivity or resistant status of each isolate. The commonest flora isolated was Escherichia Coli in 96% of participants. The total mean CFU for males and females was 3.145 and 2.660 respectively (p=0.519). There was a significant relationship between history of contact lens use with prevalence of Escherichia Coli (p=0.009), also a significant relationship between history of contact lens use with percentage of occurrence of Pseudomonas aeuriginosa (p=<0.001). There was also a relationship between history of visit to clinic and percentage occurrence of Pseudomonas aeuriginosa (p=0.010) and history of visit to clinic with percentage occurrence of Escherichia Coli (0.023) and also a significant relationship was seen between the listed names of the eyedrop with percentage of occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus (p=0.054). This study showed that lifestyles factors such as contact lens use and eye drop use can affect the normal flora of a person.

The Niger Delta region, located in the Atlantic coast of southern Nigeria is an area covering about 70000km2 (27000 square miles). More than 25% of Nigeria’s population inhabit this region profoundly rich in petroleum resources- crude oil, natural gas, asphalt and tar. Exploration and exploitation of these petroleum resources have downgraded the diversified environment of the region whose consequence is pollution due to 4200 oil spillages and 250 gas flaring sites. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of petroleum exploration and exploitation induced air, soil and water pollution on the eyes of the inhabitants of the
Ogbite community in Rivers state of the region. This research is a cross sectional investigative study which investigated petroleum explorative and exploitational processes producing hazardous chemicals induced oculovisual perturbations. With a sample size of 115 respondents, data collected were subjected to statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 to highlight compromises of the oculovisual tissues of the Ogbite community. Descriptive statistics were presented in the form of pie chart tables, bar charts and graphs. The relationship between petroleum pollution and consequences on the eye were explored using Pearson’s chi-square test and statistical relevance of P<0.05. The findings indicated huge external adnexia perturbations, indicating compromise of the oculovisual tissues of the people of Ogbite Community which included visual perceptual description, external
examinations, internal examination, signs and symptoms presented and environmental impact assessment of water and soil. Visual acuity at distance showed 54 (47%) + 2.836 from 6/24 to no light perception while 61 (53%) + 2.901 had visual acuity of 6/5 to 6/18. For near v.a N5- N10 had 61(53%) and N12-N24 had 19 (16.5%) and 28(24.35%). were uncooperative Visual
perceptual description showed: blur vision 48 respondents (41.74%) + 2.121, cloudy/hazy vision 15 (12.18%) + 0.726 and 50 (43.37%) + 2.025 had normal vision. External examinations had pterygium 20(17.4%) + 2.121 red eyes/ redness 16(13.90%) + 1.41. The total number of respondent with external problems were 60(52.17%) which included penguecula, conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, corneal ulcer and chalazion. Internal examination indicated cloudy/opaque media 19(16.52%)+2.038, age related macular degeneration 19(16.52%) +2.038. Signs and symptoms presented include: tearing 35(30.43%) + 2.076, foreign body sensation 30 (26.09%) + 2.037, pain 30(26.09% + 2.037), itching 25 (21.74%) + 0.707 and headache 19 (16.52%) + 0.508. For water samples, RV1 had high iron, 0.353 + 0.104mg/L, Zinc 0.150 + 0.048mg/L, Cadmium 0.011 + 0.004mg/L and Lead 0.17 + 0.005mg/L. Egbem 2 had high COD 23.3 + 8.02mg/L, salinilty 52 + 0.023mg/L, TDS 57.3 + 25.7mg/L and Cl 88.6 + 30.26 mg/L. For
soil samples, SSC2 had high EC 1118.0 + 507.4mg/k, Cl 1173 + 800.1 mg/k and SSS had high Fe 156.02 + 65.76 mg/K, Zinc 104.30 + 41.67mg/k, Cu 56.30 + 22.499 mg/k. The chemical analysis of the soil and water samples indicated changes from normal especially the heavy metals and other parameters for assessment of samples. From the findings, the oculovisual systems of some of the people of Ogbite have been compromised by crude oil and gas exploration and exploitation and the consequences of these are the manifestation of increased internal and external eye problems.