WHAT IS MYOPIA
It’s not a word that most people use every day, but myopia is becoming an increasingly more common condition.
Its most frequent symptom is nearsightedness, or the inability to see objects clearly at a distance. The reason objects are blurry in the distance with nearsightedness is because the eye becomes longer as the child grows.
When it comes to the prevalence of myopia, the statistics are staggering. In the U.S. alone, more than 40 percent of Americans have myopia and that number is increasing at an alarming rate, especially among school-aged children.
The reason for its escalation has been linked to two factors:
Genetics Children with one or two myopic parents are more likely to be myopic.
Lifestyle Children who spend more time on activities like reading or using handheld devices instead of spending time outdoors are more likely to become myopic.
It’s not a word that most people use every day, but myopia is becoming an increasingly more common condition.
Its most frequent symptom is nearsightedness, or the inability to see objects clearly at a distance. The reason objects are blurry in the distance with nearsightedness is because the eye becomes longer as the child grows.
When it comes to the prevalence of myopia, the statistics are staggering. In the U.S. alone, more than 40 percent of Americans have myopia and that number is increasing at an alarming rate, especially among school-aged children.
The reason for its escalation has been linked to two factors:
Genetics Children with one or two myopic parents are more likely to be myopic.
Lifestyle Children who spend more time on activities like reading or using handheld devices instead of spending time outdoors are more likely to become myopic.