The Myopia Epidemic
C
hances are that when you were a kid, some well-meaning adult probably convinced you that eating carrots would help you to see in the dark. While you might not hear that fictitious fact too often anymore (cos’ let’s face it, carrots won’t give you night goggles any more than eating blueberries will turn you blue) it turns out that our modern lifestyle is affecting our vision—and not for the better. That’s because myopia rates are on the rise—particularly in children. Myopia, if you’ve never heard of it before, is the medical term for what is more commonly referred to as ‘nearsightedness’. Basically, it is a common eye condition that makes distance vision blurry. What that means is people with myopia can typically see well enough to read a book or computer screen but struggle to see objects farther away. While myopia affects both kids and adults, in the past, the childhood rates weren’t too much of a cause for concern. But with our modern lifestyle—more and more of us spending less time outdoors and more time inside—myopia is on the rise, and optometrists and eye specialists want to let families
know the risks. Because the good news is that there are precautions you can take to protect your kid’s eyes from unnecessary damage. While the cause of myopia can be attributed to genetics—which basically means if mom or dad has it, there is a greater chance that a kid will too—our lifestyle choices play a role in the increase in cases, especially in kids.
Children who spent even an extra hour outside per week, were about 14 times less likely to be myopic than children who didn’t.
Dr. Debbie Jones is a clinical professor of optometry at the University of Waterloo and a scientist at the Centre for Ocular Research & Education. Her team found that children who spend less time outside are much more likely to have myopia or nearsightedness, which often gets worse with age. “Children spending more time inside on tablets and cell
By Nicola Enright-Morin
phones and other near activities and less time outside is certainly one of the components of why rates of myopia in kids are on the rise.� In the study conducted by Dr. Jones and her team of experts, they found that myopia is a global epidemic with prevalence rates in Canadian children increasing at an alarming rate. Of the 166 children in the study, nearly 20% were nearsighted. What was more worrying was how the numbers increased with age: 6% of the children ages six to eight were nearsighted, compared to 28.9% of children ages 11 to 13—a five-fold increase. The good news is that in many cases, myopia is preventable. Dr. Jones said that her team found that children who spent even an extra hour outside per week, were about 14 times less likely to be myopic than children who didn’t. “We know that outside time has a protective effect.� So if your child is not myopic then more time spent outside is recommended—at least ninety minutes a day. And if your child is myopic, then talk to your eye care practitioner about ways to slow down the progression.� So how do you know if your child has myopia? BCPARENT CA s BACK TO SCHOOL 7
