Our Eyes Have Become Increasingly Blurrier Now More than Ever

Myopia, commonly known as near-sightedness, is an escalating global concern. Imagine a life where everything beyond your arm’s length is a blur, where the world’s vibrant details are lost to a foggy haze.

It’s the reality for an ever-growing number of individuals. From a mere inconvenience to a significant health risk, myopia is more complex and widespread than many realize.

Myopia Is More than Just Genetics

Myopia is not just about blurry landscapes and the hassle of wearing glasses. It’s a condition where the eye elongates more than it should, turning a once spherical shape into something resembling a rugby ball.

This elongation causes images to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it, making distant objects appear out of focus.

While genetics play a role, with the risk doubling or even quintupling based on parental myopia, the rapid increase in cases points to environmental factors. Our modern lifestyle, with its indoor-centric activities and screen-focused entertainment, is reshaping our vision quite literally.

Lifestyle’s Role In Myopia

The surge in myopia cases among children and adolescents is a direct consequence of modern lifestyle changes, particularly the shift from outdoor activities to indoor and screen-focused environments.¹

Research supports that increased time spent outdoors in natural light is protective against myopia onset, with every additional hour per week outdoors reducing myopia risk by 2%. Conversely, indoor lighting conditions, especially lower light levels, can exacerbate myopia progression.

The rise in digital device usage, a form of near work, is also a significant factor. Children engaging in excessive near work show faster myopia progression, with studies indicating that “fast” progressors spend more hours per day on near tasks than “slow” progressors.

This lifestyle shift, favoring indoor and screen activities, is reshaping children’s visual development, leading to a generation increasingly affected by near-sightedness.

East and Southeast Asia’s Myopia Crisis

In East and Southeast Asia, the myopia crisis is escalating rapidly, with rates soaring to 80-90% in urban areas, starkly contrasting with global averages. This alarming trend is not merely an optical inconvenience, but a significant health concern, as myopia, is among the top causes of vision loss in working-age populations in these regions.

The intense academic pressure and reduced outdoor activities in these regions contribute significantly to this surge.²

The high prevalence of myopia in these areas is not just a reflection of genetic predisposition but also a consequence of environmental factors, particularly the educational emphasis, and lifestyle that limit outdoor exposure, which is crucial for healthy eye development.

This situation underscores the urgent need for preventive strategies and interventions to address this growing epidemic.

The Long-term Risks of Myopia as a Disease

High myopia (≤ −5 dioptres) substantially elevates the risk of severe eye conditions, transforming myopia from a minor inconvenience to a major health concern. Individuals with high myopia face a significantly increased risk of glaucoma, cataract surgery, and retinal detachment due to the elongation and stretching of the eyeball.³

Moreover, this condition can lead to myopic maculopathy or macular degeneration, particularly threatening central vision. The risk associated with these conditions escalates with the degree of myopia and age.

With the global rise in myopia prevalence, the incidence of these vision-impairing complications is also expected to surge.

Treatment & Prevention

Various interventions and a strong emphasis on prevention bolster the fight against myopia. Multifocal contacts, glasses, orthokeratology lenses, and atropine eye drops have effectively slowed myopia progression. However, a pivotal strategy lies in prevention, particularly through increased outdoor activities.

In Taiwan, a significant policy intervention, the Tian-Tian 120 program, was implemented to encourage students to spend 120 minutes outdoors daily. This initiative led to a notable reversal in the trend of reduced visual acuity among school children, demonstrating the effectiveness of outdoor activities in myopia prevention.⁴

Such initiatives, combined with public education and regular vision screenings, are crucial in altering the trajectory of myopia prevalence and ensuring better visual health for future generations.

Shaping a Clearer Future

The myopia epidemic is telling us to reevaluate our lifestyle choices and prioritize our visual health. It’s a reminder that the clarity of our vision profoundly impacts our quality of life.

By understanding the roots of myopia, acknowledging its long-term risks, and embracing preventive measures, we can protect future generations from the confines of a blurry world.

Sources

1. reviewofoptometry.com/article/lifestyle-changes-and-challenges-in-myopia-management
2. aao.org/eyenet/article/myopia-research-from-margins-to-mainstream
3. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6688422/
4. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161642020301391