Every once in a while we like to jump out into the great wide world of online news outlets to bring you articles and stories from around the globe. This week, our nJoy Vision bloggers stumbled on to a rather interesting, yet alarming, article from our pals at WIRED.
Lot’s of People are Losing Distance Vision, and No One Knows Why
Here is an excerpt:
MODERN LIFE TAKES a toll on bodies. It’s easy to tick off the uniquely 21st-century diseases that plague humans today: obesity, heart disease, diabetes. But those are the visible afflictions, the ones that show up on expanding bellies and skyrocketing death rates. Out of sight, another epidemic is silently raging: myopia, or nearsightedness. Between the 1970s and the early aughts, the incidence of myopia in the US nearly doubled, to 42 percent. Myopia’s rise has been the starkest in Asia; one survey in Korea found a rate as high as 96 percent among teenagers.
Clearly, something is going on. But scientists can’t agree on exactly what. Being constantly tethered to devices and books indoors might be part of it: Based on a handful of large epidemiological studies on myopia, spending time outdoors—especially in early childhood—reduces the onset of myopia. (So nerds and glasses? It’s true.) But what exactly about the outdoors helps? Is it the bright sunlight or how eyes focus on objects far away outside or something else entirely?
The exact answer matters, because just shooing kids outside has downsides, too. As Thomas Norton, a vision scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, puts it, “You don’t want to trade myopia for skin cancer.” | WIRED
This article got us thinking, with the growing number of myopia cases, could 2016 be the Year of Myopia?
Of course our docs here at nJoy Vision have opinions as to why our generation is struggling with Myopia at such an alarmingly high rate, but that is for another post. We wanted to take the time to let our readers know we recognize that Myopia is a growing problem, especially among teens. Our recommendations until we have definitive proof as to the reason? Maintain a regular scheduled appointment with your family eye doctor, cut down screen time, get outside, and keep a healthy diet. Believe it or not, there are a number of foods that can aid in eye health, specifically in aiding the fight against myopia. We’ve spent countless hours blogging about such foods.
You can read up on a vision-friendly diet in these two posts in particular:
Eyes on the Pies and Healthy Recipes for Healthy Eyes
And if you are someone who is already dealing with myopia, let’s talk! We have a number of options to help you take back your quality of life. Schedule a consultation with one of our centers today and we will have you on your way to a better life in no time!
