There is a global “epidemic” of myopia. Can children be protected from myopia?

Last December, I experienced a small revolution in my life. I finally had laser surgery to put an end to 26 years of nearsightedness. My parents thought my nearsightedness was caused by reading in the dark for long periods of time when I was little. I shrugged it off as a teenager, but now I realize they might have been right.

Unfortunately, my two little cousins ​​and brother have also been diagnosed with myopia, leading to the ordeal of wearing glasses in their teens.

This is not just a problem in my family, it is a global phenomenon that is alarming among scientists. They estimate that by 2050, half the world’s population could be myopic. young generation.

In some Asian countries such as Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, myopia rates among young adults exceed 80%.

“This is one of the clearest examples of how modern life affects our health,” Dr. Thierry Bour, who heads France’s National Syndicate of Ophthalmologists, told Euronews Next.

This rapid increase in myopia can be attributed to three factors: geneticshe explained.

Let’s take a closer look at our eyeballs

First of all, as we work closer together, younger generations are spending more time on screen and less time outdoors. spending time outside Promotes the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that slows eye growth.

Myopic eyeballs are inherently longer than they should be. As a result, light entering the eye is too concentrated in front of the retina instead of being focused directly on it, causing distant objects to appear blurry.

But that’s not their only peculiarity. Myopic eyes are also more fragile than normal eyes because the eyeball is elongated, Bour explained.

This elongation stretches and thins the retina, which can increase the risk of complications such as retinal tears, premature cataracts, glaucoma, and macular disease. The more severe the myopia, the higher the risk.

People with myopia may also experience eye strain and headaches, and undiagnosed myopia in children and teenagers can lead to learning disabilities.

What can be done to combat myopia?

Luckily, a solution exists. The European Optometry Optics Council recommends spending a minimum of 90 minutes outdoors to ensure dopamine production.

We recommend that children under the age of 5 spend no more than 1 hour a day in front of a screen, and children under the age of 2: no screens at all.

“From ages 0 to 2, the visual apparatus of children is neither well-developed nor robust enough to withstand the stress of constant stimulation in front of a screen. conversation.

Optometry technology is also advancing for people who suffer from myopia, especially children and teenagers.

These spectacles are equipped with microlenses intended to correct peripheral hyperopia, a hallmark of myopic eyes, slowing the progression of myopia.

Research published in scientific report In April, they examined a cohort of children who had been wearing “MiyoSmart” lenses made by Japan’s Hoya for six years. I concluded.

Clinical studies also support the efficacy of Essilor Luxottica’s ‘Stelest’ lenses, which have been shown to reduce myopia in children by an average of 1 diopter or more over 3 years. The company reports that when he wore the glasses 12 hours a day, on average, his myopia progression slowed by 60 to 67 percent compared to conventional lenses.

Orthokeratology is another solution. Hard contact lenses can be worn at night to flatten the center of the cornea for more precise focus during the day.

“It has also been shown to be a very effective way of slowing the growth of progressive myopic eyes,” he explains. myopia focusis a professional organization founded by Dr. Jason Higginbotham, an optometrist and dispensing optician.

Another option is atropine eye drops. It works by dilating the pupil and temporarily paralyzing the focusing muscles inside the eye. Studies suggest that atropine eye drops can significantly reduce the progression of myopia in children, and research is ongoing.

Myopia is “a public health problem with consequences that last for decades. By taking action, children can gain years of vision and make everyday life easier.” Bour concluded.