Computers, smartphones, lack of outdoor sports, disastrous nutrition – all this is accelerating the epidemic of myopia around the world. WHO claims that by 2050 the number of short-sighted people will quadruple – there will be almost 5,7 million. On World Sight Day, October 11, check out what you can do for your eyes.
- The number of myopic children is increasing. This process is associated with, among others, with the educational process that forces the eyes to work long and systematically in close proximity
- If we want to have healthy eyes, we should remember about a proper diet. Instead of artificial supplementation, let’s eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible, natural and as little processed as possible
- The American Optometric Association recommends using the 20/20/20 rule, which says that every 20 minutes of operation, you have a close-up look for 20 seconds at an object more than 20 feet (over 6 m) for XNUMX seconds.
– Looking at monitors for many hours and the lack of interruptions in visual work can cause the computer vision syndrome, and in many people it leads to the development and / or progression of myopia, which is not a challenge for correction at school age, but a serious risk factor for the development of glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment and macular diseases in adulthood – appeals Dr. Anna Ambroziak, MD, Medical and Scientific Director of the Świat Oka Ophthalmology Center in Warsaw.
Prevention for sight
In short-sighted people, the eyeball is too long or the cornea is too convex and refracts the light too much. As a result, the sharp image is not created on the retina (as it should be) but in front of it. Effect? The nearsighted sight clearly sees objects that are close, but poorly sees those that are further away. He squints his eyes, wanting to see something from a distance, he sits down close to the TV set. Short-sightedness (myopia) is a vision defect, so it requires correction – with glasses or contact lenses. In most short-sighted people, this defect progresses, which means that the value of negative diopters (minuses) increases with age. Unfortunately, only half of the nearsighted people care to correct it.
– An extremely important element of the prevention of the progression of myopia is, apart from the full correction of vision defects, appropriate hygiene of visual work at close distances, consisting primarily of frequent, systematic breaks while reading, studying or working in front of a computer monitor. The American Optometric Association recommends using the 20/20/20 rule, which says that every 20 minutes of work, you should look at an object more than 20 feet (over 20 m) up close for 6 seconds, says Dr. Ambroziak.
Another element of vision prevention is being in natural light, especially if it is combined with outdoor activities. It is especially recommended for children, because they are more prone to lengthening of the eyeball during the period of intense growth, which results in a shift in the value of the refractive error (refractive error, i.e. arrhythmia is focusing the image in a plane other than the correct one) towards the minus.
– Movement in the open space is usually associated with the observation of distant objects and thus the loosening of the mechanism (accommodative-convergent) used, for example, while playing on a smartphone or reading. Additionally, exposure to sunlight increases the secretion of dopamine, which is believed to stimulate the growth of the eyeball. The minimum time of activity during the day outdoors is 40 minutes, the optimal one is 20 hours a week – explains Dr. Ambroziak.
The visit to the ophthalmologist is still open for holidays
Myopia must be corrected. Most often, glasses or contact lenses are used for this purpose. Any choice of correction method should be discussed between the patient and the specialist. The basis for the selection is the correct diagnosis supported by accurate optometric measurements of the visual system, taking into account spatial vision and a comprehensive ophthalmological examination.
Ophthalmic prophylaxis is an area where we still have a lot to do. Follow-up visits to specialists are still not common among the public, and taking care of your eyesight is most often associated with wearing sunglasses during summer days or eating berries, fish or nuts.
Meanwhile, ophthalmic prophylaxis is a much more complex topic that requires special attention. This means that we can do much more for our sight, which is our most important sense. Let us remember our eyes both at work and in our free time.
When it comes to ophthalmic prophylaxis, you should also remember about a wise diet. It should be varied and balanced in terms of minerals. – Instead of artificial supplementation, it is worth including in your menu as many vegetables and fruits, natural and as least processed products as possible. Let’s eat food, not food products. Let’s eat less and mostly fruit and vegetables. Let’s eat smarter and more consciously. We do not follow chronically restrictive diets. Let’s eat with pleasure. Let’s live more carefully! – proposes Dr. Anna M. Ambroziak.
The causes of visual impairment in children
Among the causes of vision defects, there are genetic, ethnic, and environmental and civilization factors. The number of short-sighted children is growing, which specialists associate, among others with the educational process that forces the eyes to work long and systematically in close proximity. Therefore, myopia is also caused by many hours of uninterrupted looking at the screen of a monitor, smartphone, tablet or TV from a very close distance.
– The risk factor is not the total time spent on such activities, but the lack of interruptions in visual work. In order to avoid this type of ailments, systematic breaks should be introduced, during which you should look into the distance and watch TV from a distance of not less than 2,5 m – adds Dr. Ambroziak.
When working at a computer monitor, the eyesight must also constantly adapt to changing lighting conditions, which, like bad lighting and the lack of natural light, is very tiring for the eyes. So you have to make sure that our children do not exceed 20 – 40 minutes while reading, writing, drawing, watching TV and using a computer. The correct position of the body and the distance between the eyes and the book or notebook are also important – it should be at least 40 cm. The human visual system is adapted to spatial vision at various distances, therefore it is recommended for both adults and children to take their eyes off the computer and look into the distance.
Several ways to reduce eye strain while working in front of a computer:
1. Working environment favorable to the eyes:
- room temperature: 21 – 22 ° C
- humidity – 50 – 65 percent
- windows equipped with blinds or curtains darker on the side of the rooms
- light sources positioned so as not to cause glare on the screen
- light color – warm white or white fluorescent lamps with non-pulsating light
2. How to choose and properly set the monitor:
- screen diagonal at least 14 inches
- low radiation (LR-LowRadiation)
- high resolution
- stable image (image on the screen without vibrations, ripples, i.e. without periodic dimming and brightening of the screen)
- the characters on the screen should be legible and clear
- setting the monitor from the eyes at a distance of 40 – 75 cm at an angle of approx. 20 degrees
- placing the monitors sideways in relation to the windows and further away from them
- the distance between adjacent monitors should be at least 0,6 m, and between workers and the back of the adjacent monitor – at least 0,8 m.
World Sight Day
We have been celebrating it every year for 18 years, it is always the second Thursday in October. World Sight Day is a celebration organized by the international partnership campaign VISION 2020, associating 26 organizations, including the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The celebration of the holiday is aimed at promoting knowledge about eye defects and the importance of prevention. This year’s theme of the celebrations is “Eye Care Everywhere”.