Is Your Child's Future Bright or Blind?
Our shortsightedness that is fueling a global Myopia Epidemic
A report1 published in 2015 at the University of South Wales, Australia, estimated that 50% of the world population will be myopic by 2050. This epidemic has seen over 5% growth every 10 years with 35% affected globally as of 2020.
Myopia, originating from the greek word “muopia” meaning “to close the eyes”, is commonly referred to as near-sightedness. It is a condition wherein close objects appear clearly while objects faraway are blurred, and is diagnosed usually in the pre-teen years.
Myopia is first noticed in children after the age of 6 years, accompanied by excessive elongation of the axial length of the eye, and steadily increases until the age of 14, after which it gradually decreases and stabilizes in the early twenties.2
My dad started wearing glasses in his early 30’s, my mom in her 40’s, both of which can be attributed to deteriorating eyesight with age. But my younger brother and I got our prescribed attachments well before our teenage years.
Here’s how my Dad explains it, “Y…