Myopia in children is increasing. We can do more than just limit screen time

Myopia in children is increasing. According to data, as many as 35% of children around the world suffer from this disease – also known as myopia. recent review global data. Scientists predict that this number will escalate to 40% by 2050, exceeding 740 million children suffering from myopia.

So why does this matter? Many people may not realize that treating myopia (through interventions such as glasses) is about more than just comfort or blurred vision. If left untreated, myopia can progress rapidly, increasing the risk of solemn and irreversible eye diseases. Diagnosing and treating myopia is therefore crucial to the lifelong health of your child’s eyes.

Here’s how myopia develops, what role screen time plays and what you can do if you suspect your child may be nearsighted.

What is myopia?

Myopia is commonly called myopia or nearsightedness. It is a kind refractive errorwhich means a vision problem that prevents you from seeing clearly – in this case, objects that are far away.

A person usually has myopia because the eyeball has it longer than average. This can happen if your eyes grow too quickly or are longer than usual.

A longer eyeball means that delicate entering the eye is not focused properly on the retina (the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye). As a result, the image they see is blurry. Controlling eye growth is the most essential factor in ensuring normal vision.

The incidence of myopia in children is increasing

The test published earlier this year looked at changes in the incidence of myopia over the past 30 years. It reviewed 276 studies that included 5.4 million people aged 5 to 19 from 50 countries on six continents.

Based on this data, scientists concluded that as many as one in three children already suffer from myopia, and this number will only escalate. They predict that there will be a particular escalate in teenagers: by 2050, myopia is expected to affect more than 50% of people aged 13–19.

Their results are similar to A previous Australian study from 2015. It was predicted that by 2020, 36% of children in Australia and Modern Zealand would be myopic, and by 2050 more than half.

The modern review is the most comprehensive of its kind and allows us to take a closer look at the progression of myopia in children around the world. This suggests that the number of people suffering from myopia is increasing around the world, including:high myopia” or severe myopia.

What causes myopia?

Myopia develops partly due to genetic conditions. Parents who suffer from myopia – and especially high myopia – are more likely have children who also develop myopia.

But environmental factors can also play a role.

One culprit is the amount of time we spend looking at the screens. As screens get smaller, we tend to hold them closer. This type of long-term focusing over tiny distances has long been associated with it developing myopia.

Reducing screen time may lend a hand reduce eye strain and leisurely the development of myopia. However, for many of us – including children – this can be challenging, given how deeply screens are embedded in our daily lives.

Green time over screen time

The higher rate of myopia may also be linked to children spending less time outdoors than in front of a screen. Studies have shown an escalate in time outdoors maybe one to two hours a day reduce the onset myopia within two to three years.

We’re still not sure how it works. It may be that the greater intensity of sunlight – compared to indoor delicate – promotes release dopamine. This key molecule can leisurely eye growth and lend a hand prevent the development of myopia.

However current research suggests that if you have myopia, time spent outdoors may have only a miniature effect on making it worse.

What can we do about it?

The research is there is developing rapidly in myopia control. In addition to glasses, optometrists have a number of tools at their disposal to leisurely down eye growth and, with it, the progression of myopia. The the most effective methods are:

• orthokeratology (“ortho-K”) uses tough contact lenses, temporarily changes the shape of the eye to improve vision. They are comfortable because they are only worn while sleeping. However, parents must ensure that lenses are properly cleaned and stored to reduce the risk eye infections

• eye drops with atropine To have shown to effectively leisurely down the progression of myopia. Eye drops can be basic to administer, have minimal side effects, and carry no risk of contact lens infection.

What are the risks of myopia?

Myopia can be easily corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses. But if you have “high myopia” (meaning you are severely nearsighted), you have higher risk developing other eye diseases throughout life that can permanently damage your eyesight.

These conditions include:

• retinal detachmentwhere the retina breaks and detaches from the back of the eye

• glaucomawhere nerve cells in the retina and optic nerve are gradually damaged and lost

• myopic maculopathywhere the longer eyeball means stain (part of the retina) is stretched and thinned, which can lead to tissue degeneration, cracks and bleeding.

What can parents do?

It’s essential to diagnose and treat myopia – especially high myopia – early to stop its progression and reduce the risk of indefinite damage.

Uncorrected myopia can also affect a child’s ability to learn, simply because he or she cannot see clearly. Signs that your child may need to be examined may include squinting to see at a distance or moving objects closer, such as a screen or book, to see.

Regular eye exams with an ophthalmologist are the best way to understand your child’s eye health and vision. Every child is different – your optometrist can lend a hand you develop tailored methods to monitor and treat myopia if it is diagnosed.