Myopia

Myopia

Near-sightedness, or myopia, as it is medically termed, is a vision condition in which people can see close objects clearly, but distant objects appear blurry.
Myopia is among the most common ocular disorders worldwide and is a leading cause of visual impairment in children and adults. According to the World Health Organization and Brien Holden Institute, myopia has doubled its prevalence over the past 20 years, and it is estimated that the prevalence will increase to 4.7 billion in 2050 from 2.6 billion in 2020. High myopia (-5.00D or greater) will rise from 163 million to 938 million. High myopia is a condition that increases the risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, and the early development of cataracts. While mild myopia is correctable, these pathological consequences make high myopia one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness. Even smaller magnitudes of myopia will still significantly increase the risk of eye complications at a later stage in life.

What Causes Myopia?

Before diving into the environmental triggers of myopia development, it is best to understand the underlying mechanism in the eye that causes myopia. Light entering the eye will not focus correctly if the eyeball is too long or if the cornea – the protective outer layer of the eye – is too curved. So, instead of focusing directly on your retina – the ‘light-sensitive’ part of your eye – images focus in front of it. This, in turn, causes blurred vision (refractive error). 

Environmental factors that induce myopia are excessive screen time and lack of outdoor activities. Screen usage in the digital age is almost impossible to avoid, and it is important to acknowledge and minimize the eye health risks associated with prolonged screen time. The surge of myopia in the 21st century is mainly explained by a lack of outdoor activities and increased use of screens.

What Causes Myopia?

Before diving into the environmental triggers of myopia development, it is best to understand the underlying mechanism in the eye that causes myopia. Light entering the eye will not focus correctly on the retina if the eyeball is too long in relation to the focal point of the cornea and lens. So, instead of focusing correctly on your retina – the ‘light-sensitive’ part of your eye – images focus in front of it. This, in turn, causes blurred vision (refractive error).

Environmental factors that induce myopia are excessive screen time and lack of outdoor activities. Screen usage in the digital age is almost impossible to avoid, and it is important to acknowledge and minimize the eye health risks associated with prolonged screen time. The surge of myopia in the 21st century is mainly explained by a lack of outdoor activities and increased use of screens.

Diagnosis, Prevention and Management​

Diagnosis, Prevention and Management

Progressive myopia can be detected through a periodic eye exam at your eye care specialist. Once diagnosed in children and teenagers, myopia can be managed through low dosage atropine drops, ortho-K lenses, daily use of dedicated contact lenses, and special myopia management spectacle lenses.
However, the best way to avoid myopia or prevent its progression in children is spending more time outdoors and reducing screen time.
Children who are at a high risk of progressive myopia (family history, early age of onset, and extended periods of screen time) may benefit from the above treatment options as part of a myopia management program that has been shown to reduce the progression of myopia.
To help fight this pandemic and to overcome some of the inherent shortcomings of the existing solutions, NovaSight is developing TrackSight™, a software as a service (SaaS) solution for myopia prevention, which creates real-time myopic blur on the screen according to the user’s momentary gaze position. In addition, it also provides visual health monitoring through real-time alerts when eye fatigue or dry eye is detected.

Diagnosis, Prevention and Management

Progressive myopia can be detected through a periodic eye exam at your eye care specialist. Once diagnosed in children and teenagers, myopia can be managed through low dosage atropine drops, ortho-K lenses, daily use of dedicated contact lenses, and special myopia management spectacle lenses.
However, the best way to avoid myopia or prevent its progression in children is spending more time outdoors and reducing screen time.
Children who are at a high risk of progressive myopia (family history, early age of onset, and extended periods of screen time) may benefit from the above treatment options as part of a myopia management program that has been shown to reduce the progression of myopia.
To help fight this pandemic and to overcome some of the inherent shortcomings of the existing solutions, NovaSight is developing TrackSight™, a software as a service (SaaS) solution for myopia prevention, which creates real-time myopic blur on the screen according to the user’s momentary gaze position. In addition, it also provides visual health monitoring through real-time alerts when eye fatigue or dry eye is detected.

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