Nearsightedness is also known as Myopia. The global effect of nearsightedness is an epidemic. In the Unites States alone, more than 40% of the population needs eyeglasses because of Myopia. It is estimated that about one-third of the population globally will be affected with Myopia. The highest impact of Myopia epidemic is in East Asia. Eighty-six percent of the youth in china have Myopia.
Why Children Develop Myopia
It seems that the reason behind nearsightedness is heredity, but there are also other factors to consider. Kids have a higher risk to develop Myopia if both parents are nearsighted. There are cases where both parents have clear vision while their child suffer from nearsightedness. Heredity is not the only reason why kids develop Myopia. Excessive fatigue of the eyes from too much reading can be a cause of Myopia for some researchers. Even reading a material too close for long periods of time is unhealthy that can also cause nearsightedness.
An interesting discovery of researchers is that the prescribed glasses and contact lenses that are used by kids can lead to progression of Myopia. Most of the same researchers are studying the possibility of producing eyeglasses and contact lenses that can halt the progression of Myopia among kids.
Spending Time Outdoors Reduce the Risk of Having Myopia in Children
New research has shown that spending time outdoors for natural light helps in healthy eye development of children. Recent studies about eye care encourage children to spend more time outdoors because it’s the cost-effective and simplest way to prevent Myopia. Recent studies have shown that for each additional hour spent per week by a child outdoors has lower the risk of having Myopia by 2%. The children who suffer from nearsightedness spend 3.7 fewer hours per week going outdoors for activities compared to those who have normal vision.
It was discovered in the next study that fewer children developed Myopia who were instructed to spend 80 minutes of recess outdoors compared to those that were not required to do so. Another study also has shown that the rate of the development of the eye varies in connection to daylight exposure among Danish children. It’s important for us to know that when the eye develops too long, the child will suffer from Myopia. The eye of the children grows normally on summer and develop too fast during winter in Denmark.
Treatment for Nearsightedness
The popular treatment for Myopia is refractive surgery. It can reduce your problem with your vision and it can also totally eliminate your need for contact lenses or eyeglasses. The first laser type of refractive surgery is Photorefractive Keratectomy. The other laser surgery is LASIK. PRK has longer recovery time for patients than Lasik. Yet it still offers advantages over LASIK.
A non-surgical procedure for treatment of Myopia is Orthokeratology. It utilizes a special contact lens to reshape the cornea while the person is sleeping. You can wake up the next day without wearing glasses or contact lenses because the cornea retains it shape.
Additional reading:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/myopia.htm
http://www.allaboutvision.com/parents/myopia-causes.htm
http://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/time-outdoors-reduces-nearsightedness
http://www.popsci.com/why-are-so-many-people-nearsighted
