You will likely instinctively blink at least once when you finish reading this brief sentence. Unfortunately, this is not true for today’s younger generation, who spend most of their time glued to screens – smart boards at school, TV at home, and mobile to watch their favorite videos. Rising screen exposure among children is making refractive errors such as myopia (near-sightedness) and hyperopia (far-sightedness) increasingly prevalent at an alarming rate.
Orthoptists and ophthalmologists are seeing a surge in cases of children rapidly developing myopia, with waiting lists growing longer each day. This trend is not just evident in the Netherlands but is rapidly tightening its grip on countries worldwide. Asia has long been grappling with this issue, with a significant majority of children affected by myopia. Currently, the percentage is lower in Europe compared to the world. However, it is steadily increasing; it is expected that by 2050, half of the world’s population will need to wear glasses.
Myopia and its causes
Myopia or near-sightedness can cause distant objects to appear blurry, while nearby objects remain sharp and clear. This results in a minus power, which is the prime reason children need glasses for distance. There Are various factors that could cause myopia in children – family history (genetics), extended screen time, excessive or close reading, lack of outdoor activities, poor eyecare habits, and bad diet. However, the latest observations reveal that increased screen time is the main culprit of this problem.
To maintain children’s visual health, parents need to understand myopia and take proactive steps to prevent and manage the condition. If this common vision condition is not addressed properly, this might cause serious problems in the future.
Nature is a therapy
Natural light exposure slows the progression of myopia in children, and is highly beneficial for eye health. Encourage your child to have at least 2 hours of outdoor play each day. Engaging your child in outdoor activities reduces the time spent in close-up activities. This will result in alleviating fatigue and eye strain.
Enforce screen time discipline
In today’s world, kids can’t do without screens, but if their screen time is managed wisely, the adverse effects can be mitigated to a great degree
- Set daily limits on screen time
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away
- Create screen-free zones at home to promote face-to-face interactions
- Involve children in setting rules
Develop good reading habits
It is highly recommended that the below rules are followed while reading:
- Keep the reading material at least 30-40 cm away from the eyes
- Use adequate lighting; natural light is preferable
- Practice good posture
- Encourage a break after 30 minutes of reading
Take care of your eyes
One of the key strategies to help prevent or mitigate the progression of myopia is to practice good eye hygiene. There are some key rules to follow, both for children and adults:
- Read and work in well-lit areas so that the eyes can stay relaxed. Dim lighting can cause eye strain, leading to fatigue and eventually accelerating myopia.
- Maintain a safe reading distance
- Take frequent breaks
- Blink regularly
Regular eye check-up
This step can make a great difference in preventing, detecting, mitigating and managing myopia in children. It is advised to have an eye check-up once a year to ensure overall eye health.
Healthy diet to boost your vision and eye health
It is of utmost importance to stimulate healthy eating habits in children, such as encouraging a diet rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Having adequate sleep each day also improves eye health and reduces strain.
Implementing the above strategies can create a conducive environment for managing eye health and slowing myopia progression.
Written by Parul Sachdeva