After each patient consult, I do A rundown with them to reiterate the findings. A shortened version of the likely causes of the eye problem as well as its management are also discussed. I make sure to ask if they have other concerns that we weren’t able to cover. In case they do have questions that were not brought up, they can send me a message afterward. The instructions are pretty straightforward and both doctor and patient exit the check up satisfied.

Some patients timidly ask if there are things they shouldn’t do: “may bawal ba?” The most common for adults is to ask if they can drink liquor or continue smoking. This happens a lot when a patient is accompanied by his wife/girlfriend during the check up and the patient asks me if they can have a beer or smoke later. The partner tries to shoot knowing looks at me, to make me say, no, you can’t have a beer or no, you can’t smoke. But of course as a doctor caring for my patients, regardless of their condition, age or presence/absence of co-morbid illnesses, I will always advise them to drink in moderation or better if they don’t at all. Smoking for all intents and purposes should be stopped. Smoking can worsen underlying conditions such as heart disease. It prolongs wound healing and sometimes causes further festering. It also progresses thyroid eye disease. So yes, smoking is definitely “bawal.”

Moms having their kids checked also ask me this a lot. Even if the eye problem is seemingly unrelated, such as sore eyes (conjunctivitis), they would ask if their son can play on their gadgets. The parents don’t want to always be the “bad cop” to their children and have to transfer that responsibility to another adult in authority (me). I won’t be going home with them so the parents can always use me as the bad guy - “The doctor said you can’t use your computer too long.” I don’t mind. In the end, it is best not be glued to our screens for prolonged periods as this can cause dry eye and digital eye strain (see https://www.advocatesomi.com/lockdown-eye-woes).

Most patients also ask if there are food items they should stay away from. The short answer is you can eat anything you want but keep in mind that anything in excess is bad for our health. Try to lessen sugary drinks and sweets in general to prevent diabetes because this can also lead to complications in the eye. Too much salty food can lead to hypertension and kidney problems so best to control portions as well.

Sometimes, we don’t ask enough because we feel we might be judged for not knowing the answers ourselves. But it is better to be potentially embarrassed with our questions than end up with bigger problems, especially poor health, if we don’t ask them.