All around the world, we are experiencing increasing rates of myopia, or near-sightedness, but the prevalence of myopia has risen drastically in East Asia over the last 40 years, with countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore experiencing myopia rates of more than 80%.
Researchers says sunlight and outdoor time is the best solution to reducing the risk of myopia, and children and teenagers need sunlight during their critical years of their development while their eyeballs are still growing. The solution is to have children “spend more time outside, have less demands (from) schools and relax a bit”, says Professor Saw Seang Mei from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
The consequences of rising myopia rates among the young will also pose further implications in the population. “They grow older and the epidemic is then in older adults,” says Prof Saw, who is also head of the myopia unit at the Singapore Eye Research Institute. Older adults are also at higher risk for severe eye disorders such as high myopia, glaucoma, cataracts and retinal detachment.
Media Coverage: