MYOPIA ON THE INCREASE
Among
25-29 year olds, there has been a dramatic increase in Myopia all around the
world. In France one in two are myopic, among those studied; in Europe the
figure is one in four but it is nothing compared to the rates in South East
Asia and Far East, where eight out of ten are myopic, among those studied.
In
the olden days, a genetic reason for myopia existed, but the current epidemic
is due to changes in Lifestyle.
Here
the Lifestyle does not denote, Nutrition or Exercise, but lifestyle pertaining
to Vision.
After
looking at the Ophthalmic medical records of about 60,000 people, the strongest
relationship to Myopia was ones level of education. Those who halted their
studies before they reached 16 years of age, had only one half the possibility
of Myopia than those who continued their studies. The increase in education
(the researchers added) over the 20th century might be a cause. Perhaps
this interfered with the normal or appropriate conditions for development of
vision, such as passing more time indoors, with less exposure to natural light.
Reading very close to the eyes, less than 14 inches or 30 cm, may also be a
cause, adding to the above.
We
now take higher education for granted, but for those who were born in the 1920
only one in eight went on to higher education ( I am speaking of the West) but
that figure had risen to one in three by 1960!
One
immediate gut reaction would be to link the multiplicity of screens to this
Illness, tying more screen time: TV, iphones, ipads, DVD players, tablets etc.
But this cannot explain the higher prevalence of Myopia in the 40-50 year olds,
whose Myopia had arrived before the technology of Multiplicity of Screens, as
is prevalent currently.
In
any case, Myopia at an earlier age does contribute to other ophthalmic pathologies;
Glaucoma, Cataracts, and retinal degeneration.
So
to our children (and other young relatives) eager to get scores on their BAC or
SAT, we could advise:
Spend
more time as much as possible
Read
or watch at a distance, a minimum of 30 cm or 14 inches.
Nearsightedness, or
myopia, has become more prevalent in recent years.
In fact, a recent study
by the National Eye Institute (NEI) shows the prevalence of myopia grew from 25
percent of the U.S. population (ages 12 to 54) in 1971-1972 to a whopping 41.6
percent in 1999-2004.
If you are nearsighted,
you typically will have difficulty reading road signs and seeing distant objects
clearly, but will be able to see well for close-up tasks such as reading and
computer use.
Other signs and symptoms
of myopia include squinting eye strain and
headaches. Feeling fatigued when driving or playing sports also can be a
symptom of uncorrected nearsightedness.
