Short-sightedness or myopia affects the individuals’ ability to focus on distant objects. To assess whether one can focus on distant objects, doctors usually use both close and distant objects and sometimes letters on a vision chart held 3 meters away. People who have myopia will have difficulties seeing objects that are 50 centimeters away clearly. Myopia occurs when the eye’s axial length is lengthened or the lens power becomes too high. This causes a mismatch in the eye which eventually results in incoming light rays focusing on the front of the retina. The results are a blurring distance vision.
i. Lifestyle factors
Presently, about 1 in 3 people worldwide are affected by myopia, a trend that is said to change by the year 2050. According to recent studies, by 2050, about half the population of the world will suffer from myopia. This raises so many questions on what might be contributing to the development of nearsightedness. Well, some of the contributing factors include lifestyle changes. As the world continues to change, there is advancement in technology in almost every industry. Technologies such as smartphones, laptops, and tablet computers are said to make life easier. As a result, many people are caught up in the middle, spending many hours using these devices.
Barely an hour passes by before one uses the device for work, school, or leisure purposes. Whether it is the managers or the lower-level employees, everyone is exposed to the use of computers. The more time spent looking at the screens every day, the more our eyes become vulnerable to myopia. This is because much time is spent on the screens outdoors. Today, even children play video games for long hours with no breaks, increasing their eyes’ chances of damage.
ii. Environmental factors
Environmental factors also cause myopia. The environment in which people live is another factor linked to the development and progression of myopia in adults and children. People spend much time in near-work activities such as writing, reading, or using digital devices. The same people spend less time outdoors as children, which increases their vulnerability to myopia. Generally, near-work activities entail the number of books read in a week or the amount of time spent reading. With the increase in the advancement of technology, time spent on the device’s screen is also considered near work activity which has brought a new phenomenon known as digital myopia.
Studies conducted in Europe and Asia on the same topic have linked excess use of digital devices to myopia. This problem was said to be common among two groups of people;
• Individuals who were exposed to digital devices as children
• Individuals who had higher device screen time
New evidence also shows that not getting enough sleep and lack of physical exercise at a younger age increases the risk of myopia up to 50%.
Conclusion
Myopia is becoming a global pandemic problem today. This is because of too much use of digital devices. Sometimes it becomes so hard to control this because these devices are needed in almost every aspect of life. However, the good news is that there are several options to correct the situation and get a clear vision for distance and close viewing. Moreover, it is possible to manage myopia by employing lifestyle interventions.
