Short-sightedness: is it already an epidemic?

• Experts point out that limited outdoor activity, lack of natural light and excessive use of digital devices are major factors in the development of myopia.
• Children who struggle with this defect may not realize that they are seeing less well, which affects their concentration and well-being at school. Symptoms such as squinting, headaches or problems with distance vision should prompt parents to see a specialist quickly.
• Prevention includes spending time outside every day and limiting the use of digital devices. It is also important to follow the 20-20-20 rule, which means taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes and looking away.
• If a child is diagnosed with myopia, it is worth considering special lenses that slow the progression of the defect, such as those with D.I.M.S. technology. These glasses, especially in the photochromic version, not only improve vision, but also protect the eyes from UV radiation.

Is it already an epidemic?

According to a study published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, myopia (a.k.a. myopia) is becoming a global epidemic, with about 5 billion people, or half of the world's population, likely to have a myopic defect by 2050. In Poland, vision defects are already diagnosed in nearly half of the children surveyed, aged 3-15, and myopia in this group is the most common diagnosis - nearly 62% of children. This is followed by astigmatism (about 31%) or hyperopia (about 16%). Importantly, myopia is affecting younger and younger children - worldwide it is already diagnosed
in about 5% of preschool children.

Where does myopia come from?

The growing number of children being diagnosed with myopia is not only a matter of genetics - that is, for example, the likelihood of inheriting the condition from a parent with the defect - but also the result of environmental factors and inappropriate lifestyles. The progression of myopia can be fostered by low outdoor activity and a low dose of natural light, as well as excessive use of digital devices and related visual work at close distances, explains Martyna Zep, optometry expert, optometrist, Medicover Optyk. People with nearsightedness have problems seeing objects sharply at a distance, while they see those close up well. This is a serious problem in growing children, as more than 80% of information comes to them through their eyesight.

The child does not know that he sees badly

Children don't have a point of reference, so they don't know they are seeing less. At school, the visual acuity required for tasks involving long-distance vision is 50%. This means that uncorrected myopia can negatively affect a child's mood and active participation in lessons. Alarm signals for parents are squinting or rubbing of the eyes, problems with concentration, headaches, sitting closer and closer to the TV or computer screen and failing to see objects at a distance, such as the blackboard at school - a sign that it is necessary to examine the eyes. School-age children, among others, are recommended to be checked once a year, preferably before the start of the school year, says expert Martyna Zep.

Lifestyle for sight

Regardless of age - as a prevention in myopia - it is recommended above all:

• A maximum of 3 hours a day for activities where we focus our eyes on close distances, such as using digital devices (except during school time)
• A minimum of 2 hours a day of outdoor activity in natural light, and looking
  into the distance, which promotes slowing the growth of the eyeball
• visual hygiene according to the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes for 20 seconds you should flip your eyes over a distance of min. 20 feet - that is, about 6 meters)
• Keeping the right distance from the screen when using a phone, computer or tablet

Diagnosis of myopia - and what's next?

Short-sightedness cannot be reversed or cured, but its progression can be slowed. The earlier its progression begins to be controlled, the corrective values of the defect and the subsequent risk of complications will be lower. An uncorrected and unchecked defect in childhood can lead to dangerous complications in adulthood , such as: cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration in the course of myopia or retinal detachment, which, if left untreated or detected too late, can lead to a significant, irreversible decrease in visual acuity, and in extreme cases to complete loss of vision, adds expert Martyna Zep.

During the summer - and for years to come. Effective control of myopia in children

Short-sightedness in children is most often corrected with glasses with monofocal lenses. At the same time, it should be remembered that this standard choice does not slow down the progression of the defect, but only corrects it. According to the guidelines of the Polish Ophthalmological Society, one
of the effective optical methods for controlling myopia, in addition to hard orthocorrecting lenses, are glasses with lenses with D.I.M.S. technology, which slow down the progression of the defect by an average of 60% compared to traditional monofocal lenses , explains
Sylwia Kijewska, product manager of Hoya Lens Poland. In addition to slowing the progression of the defect, for children, the function of effective protection from the sun is also very important. Children's eyes are more prone to damage than adults', because their pupils are larger and the intraocular lenses of the eyes are more transparent, allowing more UV rays to reach the retina. A convenient and safe solution is glasses with photochromic lenses, designed to control myopia, which, on the one hand, slows down the progression of the defect, and on the other - protects against UV radiation and intense sunlight, automatically adjusting the tint of the lenses to the intensity of the light, explains expert Sylwia Kijewska.

Source: press mat.