What is Myopia?

Near sightedness, also known as myopia, typically results from the eyeball expanding too rapidly. This leads to light entering the eye and focusing in front of the retina, resulting in distant vision appearing unclear.

What are risk factors for becoming myopic or near sighted?

• Age – The age when myopia begins is one of the most significant factors in predicting its development. The earlier a person starts experiencing myopia, the more likely they are to experience rapid progression and a higher degree of myopia.
  
• Ethnicity – Research indicates that individuals of Asian descent are at a higher risk of developing myopia compared to others.
  
• Genetics – This is often referred to as “genetic myopia”. Children with at least one parent who is myopic have a risk that is 2-3 times higher than those without, and this risk increases to 6 times if both parents have myopia.
  
• Environmental Factors – It’s believed that more time spent doing close-up tasks like reading, using computers, or mobile devices could increase the risk of developing myopia. There are also suggestions about the role of spending time outside. Research suggests that more time spent outdoors might help delay the onset of myopia, but once a person has myopia, spending time outdoors doesn’t seem to slow down the progression of the condition.

What are some tips to do at home to help reduce the risk of children becoming myopic or slowing the progression if they already are myopic?

• Spend time away from your book every now and then – (the 20/20 rule) Every 20 minutes spent reading, pause for 20 seconds to look around the room. This action helps to ease the strain on the eye muscles from focusing for long periods.
  
• Avoid keeping books or screens too near – a recommended guideline is to position reading material at an elbow to wrist distance from your eyes.
  
• Aim to restrict “after-school” screen time to two hours daily for children in school.