In recent years, one of the most risky factors for children's sight damage is the constant looking at the displays of phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs. This is what ophthalmologist Dr Tatyana Hergeldzhieva-Fileva from Licht Medical Center said in an interview for BGNES. The eye centre has recently opened its doors and is located in the Sofia village of Lozen. Dr. Fileva is a specialist in ophthalmology and ophthalmic surgery, with many years of experience in Switzerland.
"Looking at phones and tablets is also the cause of the ever-increasing percentage of myopic children. Not only is myopia growing as a percentage, but it is also a risk factor for the diseases that it subsequently brings in its wake - such as diseases of the retina, the macula, and glaucoma. Displays also have other bad effects - children change their communication, their relationship with other children and the surrounding world, and their psyche also changes. This is the disease of civilization, and always when examining children I pay attention to parents to encourage children to play outside, and to communicate with each other. The maximum viewing time per day of displays should be no more than half an hour for small children under 7 years old," emphasized the doctor.
Working with children - of course, and with adult patients - is very specific. But in children, the worldview is completely different from that of adults, so when examining children, it is good for the doctor to feel like a child. Thus, the examination takes the form of a game, which does not bother the child in any way. With a game and an explanation available to them, we as doctors try to find the most correct approach for them, says Dr Hergeldzhieva-Fileva.
An extremely interesting technology is applied by the doctor to children who, for one reason or another, have impaired vision and have never seen colours. "Thanks to new technologies, children have the opportunity with special glasses or contact lenses to achieve the same orientation as people with normal colour perception," says Dr Fileva.
And he adds that children are taught the culture of preventive examinations at an early age. "When children get used to these examinations as small children, they continue as adults and pass this on to their children," also believes Dr. Hergeldzhieva-Fileva.
In his huge professional biography and practice, Dr Fileva has many interesting cases, but one he will certainly never forget. "Closest to our hearts are the patients who have either been seen for many years or have never seen, and are looking through. I had a young patient who, from infancy, had chronic inflammation of both eyes, which had resulted in blindness in one eye. For many years, the other eye was treated with anti-inflammatory therapy, but the patient still had low vision from a very advanced cataract. An operation of this type is complicated, so it is difficult for patients to decide to undergo it, because if it becomes a complication, the person would completely lose his sight. For years, we have stabilized the inflammatory process with various types of medication to choose the right moment for surgery. The moment the patient saw, it was one of the most emotional moments of my career," recalls Dr. Fileva.
Regarding preventive eye examinations, the expert rightly believes that this is part of the personal health culture of every citizen. "There are people who take their children, take their parents for regular check-ups, and that's part of a good health culture. Others come in the last stages of the disease, no matter what it is. This is the place to say that until the sixth month after birth, it is good for all children to be examined by an eye doctor. Then at age 3, before starting school, once a year at school age. After the age of 40-45, when it is time for the first reading glasses, it is essential to check the eye pressure, then until the age of 60, you should go for preventive eye examinations every two years, and after the age of 60 age - at least once a year. With age, the most common eye diseases that lead to irreversible vision loss do not lead to complaints. Increased eye pressure, which is a risk for glaucoma, does not give any symptoms - neither pain nor tearing, only with timely measurement and an eye examination can an adequate and timely diagnosis be made", explains Dr Fileva, and adds that the macular early stage degeneration also shows no symptoms.
Cataracts (a condition of clouding of the natural human lens in the eye with age) can be perfectly cured by replacing the clouded human lens with an artificial one. "These operations are high-tech, they are also performed here, and the recovery from them takes a few days. The most important thing is that such an operation be performed on time, which depends on the health culture of the patient," the doctor added.
The idea for the clinic was born during the COVID crisis, when Dr Hergeldzhieva, her husband and children stayed at home and seriously thought about what they wanted to do in the future. “We knew what we wanted, it was just a matter of finding the right place and the right people to do it with. From 2020 to 2023, we built the medical centre, our son Petar Filev took on this responsible and difficult task, and with great effort, we succeeded at the beginning of November this year. to open doors. Already in the first month, we concluded all the necessary contracts, including with the Health Insurance Fund, to make it convenient for the patients".
The family chose the village of Lozen as an ideal destination for the construction of the clinic. "From our many years of experience, not only in Bulgaria, and not only from our dozens of specializations abroad, but we have also learned that when coming for an examination, the patient is sufficiently worried about the examination itself, about the intervention and the treatment, so we were looking for a beautiful, green and calm a place like it is here," says Dr Fileva. And proudly adds that the family has lived in Lozen for many years, and feels the village is their real home. The greenery, the possibility to park comfortably, and the convenient public transport of buses and subway, make the clinic a favourite for patients. "All over the world, good clinics and practices are not in the centres of megacities, but in cosy and picturesque towns and villages, where people have free and convenient access to quality healthcare," added the doctor.
"Licht" Medical Center also works with the Health Insurance Fund. | BGNES
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