By May Wong Ek Su, SIECRC
Dr Joy Chan, Medical Director and Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist from International Eye Cataract Retina Centre, was invited by the National Heritage Board to give a lunch time talk on common eye problems to its staff on 6 June 2017. The educational event was part of the National Heritage Board’s quarterly lunch talk for staff. Interestingly, the topic for the lecture was chosen by its staff from all departments. This was not unexpected as eye health is a top health priority for many people in the community.
During the talk, titled “Focus on Your Eye Health”, Dr Chan shared insights on some common eye problems such as cataract, age-related macular degeneration and pterygium. In addtion, Dr Chan, a fellowship-trained oculoplastic surgeon, spoke on common eyelid conditions such as dermatochalasis, ptosis, entropion and ectropion. She also discussed treatment options for these conditions and shared results of some of her surgeries.
Dr Chan also gave some tips for good eye health. Her key message was that small dietary and lifestyle changes can make a big impact on one’s eye health.
Finally, Dr Chan emphasized the importance of annual eye screening to detect and treat eye diseases at an early stage. Some eye conditions may not have perceptible symptoms in their early stages and can only be detected by a dilated eye examination. Annual eye screening can help detect and treat these conditions before they become symptomatic, leading to better outcomes in the long run.
The talk, which was held at the National Museum of Singapore, was well-received by the participants.
