Myopia (near-sighted or short-sighted)
Myopia, also known as being near-sighted or short-sighted, is a very common cause of blurred vision, where far away objects appear out of focus. Myopia (also called nearsightedness) is the most common cause of impaired vision for people under age 40.
What is Myopia?
Myopia is when one can see things perfectly when they are near, however objects in the distance are blurred. Some of the signs and symptoms of myopia include eyestrain, headaches, squinting to see properly and difficulty seeing objects far away, such as road signs or a blackboard at school.
In recent years, its prevalence is growing at an alarming rate. Globally, research suggests that in the year 2000, roughly 25 percent of the world's population was nearsighted but by the year 2050, it's expected that roughly half of the people on the planet will be myopic.
What causes Myopia?
- Genetics play their part, if there is a family history of nearsightedness, it is more likely to occur. Make sure you get your vision checked!
- Increased use of technology - compared to twenty years ago, children are interacting with more types of technology more often. Children are using technology at a much younger age with lengthy screen times and often close up to the eyes.
- Perhaps the most easily avoided but biggest culprit is decreased outdoor time - when combined with access to technology, time spent playing outdoors has decreased. Various studies have concluded that time spent outdoors allows eyes to benefit from improved light and the ability to focus at distance.
How to treat Myopia?
While there’s no true cure, there are a variety of ways to correct nearsightedness. Wearing prescription eyeglasses is the simplest and most common method. Other options include contact lenses and laser eye surgery. Additionally, from eating healthy to resting your eyes, there are easy steps you can take to help slow the progression of myopia.
Most people don’t think there is anything wrong with their eyes, so they don’t get them regularly tested but the truth is that you might have underlying problems and do need to get your eyes check at least every 2 years. For children this is vitally important as nearly 80% of what a child learns is captured visually. If they are struggling to see, it is likely to affect their grades, their sports performance and even their behaviour.
