What is myopia?
Resulting in poor distance vision or “nearsightedness,” myopia occurs when the eyeball grows longer than it should or has a cornea that is too curved. Although moderate cases of myopia are not typically worrisome, progressive myopia is a rising concern as it can lead to serious eye issues such as retinal detachments, cataracts and glaucoma.
The National Eye Institute predicts that this vision impairment will affect over 44 million Americans by 2050, and myopia is already considered to be an epidemic throughout certain areas of Asia.
What are common risk factors?
Myopia onset has been directly linked to many modern indoor behaviors including extended computer use, excessive video gaming and long hours of watching television, in addition to:
- Minimal outdoor activity
- Poor diet
- Long study hours
- Family history of myopia
- Pollution
How can I protect my child?
Studies show that the chances of myopia development and progression are substantially reduced through:
- Increased outdoor activity
- Healthy diet
- Early detection
- Reputable vision correction
Metro Eye’s optometrists strongly recommend annual eye examinations for every member of your family, and preventing your loved ones from joining the myopia epidemic is just one of the numerous important reasons why.