📹 Why so many people need glasses now
Nearsightedness is on the rise worldwide. How did that happen? Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss any …
Is astigmatism genetic?
Astigmatism is a common refractive error caused by the shape of the eye being more curved than it should be, resulting in blurred vision. It is usually hereditary and can be caused by excessive pressure on the cornea by eyelids. Astigmatism is not caused by health conditions but rather by the shape of the eye being more curved than it should be. It affects light entering the eyes, causing uneven bends and affecting vision at all distances. It is recommended to visit an eye care specialist if any changes are noticed.
Can astigmatism be 100% corrected?
Astigmatism is a common refractive error that causes blurred vision due to the curved shape of the eye. It is a refractive error that causes light to bend unevenly, affecting vision at all distances. While glasses or contacts can correct vision, they cannot change the eye’s shape. Vision correction surgery, such as LASIK and PRK eye surgery, uses lasers to fix vision problems. It is essential to visit an eye care specialist if you notice any changes in your eyes or feel your vision is not as clear as it used to be.
Will I eventually go blind with astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a defect in the lens that causes the image to be distorted due to the eye’s inability to focus. It is not an ocular disease or pathology; however, it can result in blurred vision, ocular strain, and headaches, particularly following prolonged periods of reading. Nevertheless, it does not lead to blindness.
What foods help astigmatism?
Consuming foods rich in beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, egg yolks, kale, and pumpkins, can help prevent astigmatism by improving vision focus. Consuming omega-three fatty acids like sardines, mackerel, cod, and wild salmon is also beneficial for a healthy retina. Proper lighting during reading is essential to avoid straining eyes and damage to the cornea. Excessive rubbing of the eyes can further injure the cornea, and if the itchiness persists, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Why do vegetarians look younger?
A plant-based diet is beneficial for skin health, as it is rich in collagen-boosting ingredients like vitamin C, lysine, and antioxidants, which help with collagen production and suppleness. Beta-carotene, found in colorful fruits and vegetables like carrots, kale, spinach, and tomatoes, supports skin health and promotes a glowing appearance. Research suggests that dairy may play a role in acne and scarring, so reducing or eliminating dairy from the diet can help with healing and acne reduction.
This should be combined with increased consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and limiting processed foods. A well-balanced plant-based diet also helps maintain a youthful muscle structure, as it offers high-nutrient plant-based protein sources like nuts, seeds, pulses, and quinoa. Muscle loss with age typically occurs in those with high-calorie intake from animal-based and processed food, as well as from a sedentary lifestyle.
Can astigmatism correct itself?
Astigmatism is a common eye condition causing blurred or fuzzy vision, affecting approximately 1 in 3 people in their lifetime. It is a refractive error that either stays the same or worsens with age. Astigmatism is defined by an abnormality in the shape of either the cornea (the outer surface of the eye) or the lens (the internal structure of the eye). In a normal eye, the cornea and lens curves are the same shape, but with astigmatism, there is a mismatch, affecting the eye’s ability to focus its image.
What is a vegan face?
Vegan face refers to a slack, wasted look caused by an absence of protein in one’s diet. Protein is essential for plump, fresh-faced, and wakeful skin. Not all vegans lack protein, but cutting out animal products can lead to a significant protein deficit. Inge Theron, founder of Face Gym, has developed a facial specifically for vegan faces, focusing on collagen and elastin, which are crucial for youthful, toned, and sculpted skin.
If the body doesn’t get the necessary protein, it can lead to dry, sallow, crepey, lacklustre skin, saggy jowls, and a loss of muscle tone and elasticity. Face Gym was inspired by many of its team members who have turned vegan, and Theron is a “huge advocate of the vegan movement”.
Can astigmatism be reversed naturally?
Astigmatism is a prevalent ocular condition that can be effectively managed with the use of specialized contact lenses, eyeglasses, or surgical intervention. However, many individuals may overlook its existence. Over time, optometrists have devised techniques to mitigate symptoms and enhance visual acuity.
Can poor diet cause astigmatism?
Astigmatism can progress due to poor diet, inflammation, and health conditions like diabetes and blood pressure changes. Dr. Axe content is medically reviewed or fact-checked, focusing on academic research institutions, reputable media sites, and medically peer-reviewed studies. The information provided is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional and is not intended as medical advice. Clickable links to studies are provided.
Do vegetarians have better eyesight?
A diet comprising fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains has been linked to a 30% reduction in the risk of developing cataracts, while meat consumption has been identified as a significant risk factor, with an odds ratio of 46. It has been demonstrated that individuals who adhere to a vegan diet may be less susceptible to cataracts. However, a diet that is rich in nutrients, including vitamins C and E, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids, has been shown to have a beneficial effect on the progression of macular degeneration.
📹 A Healthy Vegan Diet Improved My Eyesight
I picked up my new glasses today and wanted to share my excitement over being able to see distant details again 🙂 I have been …
I was really near sighted in my early 20s so last year I got laser eye surgery and honestly sometimes I still get emotional about it. My vision ended up even better than 20/20 and I honestly wasn’t prepared for how good it would be. The day after my surgery I woke up and looked out the window and saw the leaves fluttering around on a tree that was blocks away and I just cried. Good vision is such a precious thing.
Wait, this suddenly makes the old stereotype that nerds or otherwise smart/bookish people wear glasses make sense. Someone who spent all their time reading and studying as a kid would be more prone to myopia and thus need glasses, and that’s why people circa the 1950’s started associating glasses-wearing with things like book-smarts and introversion, i.e. “nerd” traits.
I remember the day my vision went from 20/20 to slightly near-sighted. I can still see without glasses but there is a slight blur when looking in the distance but nothing serious. I can’t say I’m surprised as I spent a lot of time playing games and browsing the internet growing up at the time when technology really took off. While I did play outside as a kid too, I guess it wasn’t enough 😅.
I’m surprised that my vision is still perfect. I have basically spent the last 10 years indoors behind a computer screen, and when I was “outside” the time was spent in classes at school. Both my mother and father wear glasses and started needing them well before they were 21 (my current age). Maybe I got lucky? Or maybe in 10 years it’s going to happen to me too. I did spend a lot of time outdoors when I was a young kid though.
(19y) I spent the entire covid period and this winter indoors mostly at the computer, I developed weak myopia, but by spending more hours outside, especially at vantage points where you can look into the distance, my vision improved so much that it is almost unrecognizable from a healthy eye . if it is caught in the beginning, it can probably be corrected by changing the lifestyle.
I am a student suffering from myopia in Singapore. Even though the ministry of education has mandated 2 hours of physical lesson every week and has begun encouraging students to go outdoors, I still believe far too less is being done. More than half of my classmates wear glasses now. Myopia is more than an inconvenience. Hopefully all stakeholders can step in and help to prevent it in children and teenagers who do not yet know the seriousness of myopia. Thank you Vox for shining light on this issue!
I’m 42 years old and have always spent most of my time indoors with tv and article games and my vision is still at least 20/20. Both of my parents started wearing glasses when they were younger than I am now. I consider myself extremely lucky at this point as nearly everyone I know who is my age and older needs their vision corrected somehow.
My mother grew up on a farm and believed that kids belonged outside. She literally locked me outside all day during the summer, and I played outside after school. By the age of twelve, I needed glasses to see the board in school. My vision is worse than my mother, who had mild myopia, and definitely worse than my father, who was a pilot and had better than 20/20. What happened?? 😢
I never knew the eye had dopamine receptors. When I heard dopamine was involved, I looked up if there was a connection to ADHD (i have it and it is a dopamine disorder) and I saw there are studies beginning to look into the overlap. Fascinating how important dopamine is and how far neurological science has progressed to see these links.
I’m high myopic (-7.00/-7.50) and I spent a good deal of time outdoors as a child. And it doesn’t seem to come down to my genetics as no one else in my family has such a significant need for vision correction. I used to work as an optician and I have to say that a policy is in place in most commercial optical shops to put glasses on every face that walks in the door. I think that in the past some people with moderate myopia were simply unaware of how bad their vision actually was but the prevalence of big optical chains and cheaper glasses has skewed the numbers a little. Off topic, but anyone interested should look into the mark-up that optical shops place on materials. Those $300 glasses on your face probably cost around $20 wholesale, often less than that. And those coatings and “UV filters” added are pennies if they even exist at all.
Are there more people in northern developed countries who have myopia than there are in other developed countries? It would be interesting to look at the data in countries where sunlight is practically non-existent during the fall and winter months. Also, what about surgeries? LASIK is a popular solution, although with its own risks… This article was cut short! There’s so much more that could have been talked about…!
I wish this article covered more about what adults who have had myopia since childhood can do to make their chances of worse disorders later in life smaller. Would lasik help? It sounds to me like it wouldn’t, but I don’t know much about this. I got all depressed after perusal this cause I’ve had bad vision since I was a kid and now it’s telling me I’m probably gonna have cataracts or lose my vision completely when I get older lol
I sometimes feel like a freak of nature for being an adult with essentially having 20/20 vision. Like it’s a mutant power that I am just able to “see” all the time without accessories. Because almost everyone I know wears glasses/contacts or just deals with blurry vision. If mine is ever blurry it’s due to another short term issue like a migraine or allergies. EDIT: Don’t be too jealous, I guess I traded near perfect vision for horrible sinuses. I’m jealous of everyone who doesn’t get winded going up a flight of stairs bc they can breathe through their noses lol
That’s interesting since my eye sight really got worse when I moved to a colder climate and didn’t have neighborhood kids to play with like I did when I was in elementary school. I was stuck inside more, and I was attached to technology more than I had been as a kid. Makes total sense now that I have glasses
I got myopia when I was 16. Now I’m 21 and every time I went to the Ophthalmologist, my near-sightedness worsened. And this explained a lot, I always live in my home life in which I only stay in a very calm area or room that is mostly darker and always use a phone or tablet or reading books. Thanks to this article, I could change my routine (otherwise I’m definitely going to have some kind of disease later in my life). So thank you so much Vox.
I WISH I KNEW ABOUT THIS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER 😭😭I’ve asked multiple eye doctors about why I’m becoming myopic all of a sudden and they just said it’s “genetics” and “just wear glasses” for that. But as a kid who had a really good vision I used to be proud of, began growing myopic during my 15th year and my indoor time spent in a dark bedroom during that time has a huge correlation! I am glad that I finally know why. And yea, my eyesight remains stable for the past 4-5 years and am still using the same glasses.
This article feels like a wake-up call because it’s been a couple years since my last eye exam, but I seem to remember them saying my myopia was around 9-11 and learning that just 5 puts you at increased risk of complications is terrifying. I’m probably overdue for an eye exam so I think I’m going to look into getting that done some time soon… it’s scarier since I’m over 25, meaning my myopia is fully developed and pretty much irreversible.
Introvert here with myopia at around-5.00. I wish I had seen this article when I was younger. I spent a lot of my childhood days outside, but high school and college I was seriously just at home everyday. The worst part is that it doesn’t stop getting worse. Going outside at least a few hours a day is the least I could do now.
Anyone else had their eyesights worsen during the pandemic? Both my parents have perfect vision, so did my sister & I. But after 2+ years of staying indoors so much my sister’s eyesight became worse than those of my parents – who are nearly 60. I also feel my eyesight got worse but luckily not much. I wonder how it is with kids/teenagers
I didn’t grow up wearing glasses. I never thought that I needed them… until lockdown happened. I was a university student who stayed indoors all day. When school went back to in person, I started driving to school more and started to realize that I could not see very well. Scheduled an eye appointment and learned that I was slightly myopic
In a recent conversation with my optician, we discussed how it was interested that both of my daughters are also far-sighted like I am, but neither of my sons are. We were given advice similar to this on how to help them not develop myopia: hour+ outside a day, limit ‘close work’ in the evening and how close they put any books or devices.
I started getting bad eyesight at 10, but was too scared to tell my mom until eventually a teacher told my mom. She was very mad that my eyesight became bad even though I couldnt do much about it. At 12 I got glasses but I lost them and my parents couldn’t afford new ones so I didn’t get another pair for another year. My eyesight is terrible now, I wish I intervened earlier
In my childhood I did play outdoors and had good vision. During highschool though once I started spending more time indoors and constantly use a phone or laptop for work my vision started to deteriorate. I had to get glasses by 18 yrs old. Now I’m 22 and this article just proved my theory of why my vision started going bad 😞 Great article
A few years ago I worked as a substitute teacher in schools over 100 years old. The architects of those buildings probably thought they were benefiting students by giving them enormous windows to flood the classrooms with sunlight. But in every classroom the shades were closed tight and when I’d raise them, clouds of dust would fly off and the students would recoil like molemen and scream for me to lower them again. I’d ask them, “Don’t you ever go outside and see the sun?”
a few months ago when i went to the ophthalmologist for a regular eye checkup, they measured my eyeballs to compare the difference in length the next time i visited. i got my glasses at 12, im turning 15 soon, and they had never done this before. i was really confused about the statement my doctor made on eyeballs growing longer, and this cleared it up. i would also highly recommend the 20-20-20 rule. after following it religiously, there was no change in my vision for quite a long time.
I’ve always had perfect vision growing up, but I suddenly had to start wearing glasses at age 19. Now I can’t see much at all without my glasses. I used to spend more time outside, but a modern lifestyle doesn’t allow for so much of it anymore. There was a noticeable difference in my vision coinciding with the switch to a more indoor, sedentary, and studious lifestyle.
I started wearing glasses when I was 9 and my vision got worse year after year, but it stabilized when I reached 17. For me, the biggest reason was spending too much time on computers and living in a dim environment throughout the day. Nowadays my work Mostly revolves around Computers and Electronic devices and to tackle the same I have taken a couple of steps, the best one is keeping my desktop by the window so that I am constantly focusing afar and getting Natural light. I have grown to value good vision and wish to have the same through LASIK in a couple of months.
It’s all but been confirmed that it’s due to light exposure. There are several studies that make very strong cases for it. The problem is, none of them describe what type of light is important to get exposure to. Does UV light need to enter the retina? What type of UV? What wavelengths are best? Is it just overall exposure (brightness/intensity) and can sunglasses interfere with that?
Wow, I am so happy this article came out. For me I feel it was article games at an early age that contributed to me becoming myopic. I would would all the time. I was born in 1991 and the SNES was my first platform. I would play donkey Kong endlessly. Then when the PlayStation came out.. forget about it. Shortly after. I became myopic. I should mention that I spent a fair amount of time outside as a child but I think not having my article game time limited is what did it. Fast forward to now I’m 33. Last year I had an eye exam and retinal scarring had been noted. I saw a retina specialist and I EVEN asked .. could this be because of excessive screen time.. to which the doctor told me no. There’s no correlation. Thankfully this article is saying otherwise. Thank you VOX
I gotta ask…but can you do one on farsightedness, too? I started wearing glasses when I was 5 (I’m 27 now) and I never became myopic — but hyperopic. My prescription has actually gotten slightly more farsighted as I’ve gotten older, but it moves super, super slow. I would love to see something covering why farsightedness remains in people, as I am the only one of my friends and family who is farsighted. It seems much rarer than nearsightedness.
Looking at this makes me very sad to see how our society works today. Imagine something as simple and natural as going outside that was done by mankind for thousands of years is now becoming a systematic behavior, all to accommodate the systematic nature of the institutions that we send our children to live in for all of their childhood. I’m glad that they’re initiating programs to bring outdoor activities back into children’s lives, but it hurts to see that it’s turned into a schedule rather than something they do just because they want to.
I have high myopia -10, most of my cousins and siblings do too. I’ve researched high myopia and found that the 2 biggest correlates are looking at things close by like books or smartphones, and educational level. I spent a lot of time indoors as a child, perusal tv or playing computer games. And I’ve been in university for 7 years, which makes sense.
This is interesting. I have noticed seeing a ton of people wearing glasses and wondering why every other person has bad eyesight suddenly. Especially the young kids. Glasses used to be something that made you the odd one out or showed your age. I was born in 1993 and have never had any eyesight problems, but neither did anyone in my family until they got much older.
I’m an indoors type of person, but when I go outside for a walk in the city, I am much focused on looking at the building, the sky or the birds rather than people. I was bullied when I was young so I’m not too fond of eye contact with other people. My work and hobbies are computer related, but never had a problem with my vision.
Huh. I never really thought about it before, but myself, all of my immediate family members, and all of my friends wear glasses or contacts. That does seem pretty strange when you actually stop and think about it. Very interesting article. My vision was stable for many years before deciding to get significantly worse two years ago, but I hope they will be stable again now.
I first got glasses when I was 6 years old at my first eye exam appointment. My vision has degressed further past both my parents who are a lot older than me and I’m only 20. I’m really glad I was recommended this because looking it up didn’t yeild much and the only explanation I got when I was a kid was I was perusal too much TV or standing too close to it and well, i guess that was partially true.
I would love to see a similar article on the use of headphones and earphones. I kind of fear that my hearing may become damaged from using these devices. I noticed that after some time using head/ear-phones, I gradually turn up the audio level, and my friends have mentioned the same thing when I ask about it. My hypothesis is that we gradually get used to the higher audio-level and therefore need to turn it up if we want to keep listening to content that calls for higher levels – my fear is that the small hearing-hairs inside the ear doesn’t stand up again.
I love reading as a kid and would almost always be doing near work, but because I grew up in a rural area with rotating blackouts, I often had to read outside, in daylight, to save on energy. My eyesight was 20/20 until I got working in front of computers when I slowly became myopic. During the pandemic, when I had to stay indoors almost all the time, my vision became even worse and I had to change glasses in a span of a year. I attributed it to age and mere computer work but this article made me realize that it’s also about spending so much time indoors. Thanks to this article, maybe I can slow down the progress of my myopia or at least have a better quality of life by spending more time outside.
This article was very eye-opening and put into perspective and added the science behind a trend that we have seen as a society. We are seeing more and more people wearing glasses or complaining that their eyesight is getting worse as time is passing. What was usually an issue of getting old is now seen in the younger population where you can go up to undergrad students and a lot of them would talk about how their eyesight is getting worse. I like how this article first explains the science behind this trend by explaining that more and more people are experiencing myopia, in which people are having a smaller range of distance of what they can see in front of them. The article concludes that myopia rates are getting higher because we are spending more time doing a task that requires our eyesight to be focused on something too close for an extended amount of time. This can be seen with students who use a computer or book to study for school. Another reason that it was thought to be behind the rise of myopia rates was that we are spending less time outdoors which increases the probability of developing myopia in the future. In the article it was highlighted that some countries like Asia have very high rates of myopia especially the kid population which was attributed to Asia’s emphasis on education and minimize emphasis on being outdoors. When this was mentioned, it made me think about the ethical point of children’s autonomy and if it was being respected and thought about in this case. Just because it thought that education should be of the highest importance in a child’s life it is not ethically correct to put that above the health of a child.
I’m a Singaporean. Myopia and wearing glasses here is so incredibly common that no one really thinks it’s a big deal at all. Literally everyone wears glasses or contact lenses. Adults who don’t probably have had lasik surgery done. Totally agree that our kids don’t spend enough time outdoors cos they’re busy cramming for exams all day long 🙁
Oh, but I did cure my myopia, not fully but a little. Back in the 2010 I bought underpowered glasses for indoor use, when I would need a -5.0 lens for my right eye, I made them make me -4.5 lens instead. For driving a car I had lenses closer to what the optician measured. After 13 years I am using glasses with -1.5 for my right eye. If I’d want to drive I would need something like -2 for my right eye. Oh, I only mentioned my right eye to avoid confusion. My left eye has gone from -4.0 to -1.0 at the same time. EDIT: typo
I am spending VERY much Time infront of Monitors since my Childhood, mixed with Time outside, i don’t need Glasses. I also don’t use much unnatural Light, when it gets slowly dark, i just work with that. My Wife puts on the Light for everything, she uses Glasses. So i think there is something with natural Light, that helps out.
I’ve always loved being near-sighted. I’m a reader, a doodler, a writer. All the arts require you to be able to see up close. Now I’m suffering from presbyopia, which is making me sad. The only time I’m sad about not seeing things far away, is when I need to read street signs or the lore in a article game I’m playing.
Since the accommodation response involves muscles, it makes sense that the eye adapts to what is demanded of it. Just as the vision of an eagle or a wolf needs to be excellent at far vision, so too must those animals that rely on close vision. I don’t regret my lifetime of reading. If myopia was the price, I’m happy to have paid.
I started wearing glasses for reading but eventually kept them on at all time because I felt I looked better. Fast forward into my mid 20s and my vision starts significantly declining year after year with the doctor having no clue. After finally going to retina specialist and getting like 10 different exams done turns out I have an obscure eye disease that is similar to astigmatism but worse since it can’t be easily fixed with laser. I remember poking fun at a friend when I was 18 since she couldn’t read small font from a short distance and now in my 30s I am in the same boat :/
It’s interesting that she says once you are myopic it doesn’t regress. At middle age, pretty much everyone develops some amount of farsightedness. I’ve been nearsighted since my teens but after 40 also became farsighted. They don’t cancel eachother out, they exist at the same time. It’s why bifocals exist. But my last vision checkup, they said my nearsightedness prescription had actually improved a tiny bit. It’s not cured or anything, but it can actually regress in time.
I had been wondering why more and more people wear glasses these days. I watch old movies, or movies set in historic times and wonder “why was everyone able to see long distances without glasses back then??” Now I have a better understanding as to why. I grew up in the 70’s and spent most of my free time outside. But my myopia is genetic. Me and my sister have needed glasses since childhood. Thanks for this article!
I have somewhat strong myopia (-5.25 and -5.00) – I appreciate this article talking about how having a strong myopia can affect more than just your eyesight in the event your myopia is caused by the shape of your eyeballs… A routine retinal exam for me found 1 tiny retinal hole, which two years later became several retinal holes and increased lattice degeneration, which a few months later came my first symptoms of fluid infiltration through these holes (photopsias and shadows) and I have had to have laser photocoagulation treatments a few times to decrease risk of retinal detachment. Strong myopia is a serious problem and it’s so important to go beyond visual exams and get your retinas checked regularly ! For everyone but especially for highly myopic people.
I’ve had glasses since 7, gradually going from -1 to settling around -5 around 17. My parents were sure I had always been short-sighted or was hereditarily prone (?) as my dad is -12 or something. Honestly, it’s okay. Never been much an issue, never really got made fun of on a serious level, blind when eating soup, inconvenienced in the rain or doing sports, it’s all ok. Got some contacts aged 16, still have some as never liked them. You just shouldn’t put stuff in your eyeballs. Probably will wear glasses for the rest of my life. It’s a part of me as much as wearing a watch.
Mine’s inarguably genetic (got it from my father, whose whole family side has myopia). But near work and lack of outdoor light does not help those of us who are genetically disposed, either. My myopia noticeably worsened over the course of the pandemic; I went from about -6.5 to -8.5; about twice as bad as my dad’s. (The irony being that I considering PRK shortly before the emergence of the pandemic, deferred it due to not wanting to chance a non-essential health procedure, and now don’t qualify due to the substantial changes in my prescription within such a short time.)
Hmmmmmm. I spent as much time as I could outside as a kid but still ended up with horrible vision. I did read a lot of books but most of my free time I was outdoors. Around 3rd grade I noticed I wasn’t able to read the board at school when the year prior I was able to and got glasses. Both my parents and all 4 of my grandparents have very poor vision as well. I think it’s more of a genetic component than this article gives credit for. I’d like to see data in the future studying this in developing kids. We could figure out which kids get bad vision due to genetics, and which get bad vision due to development, and go from there.
One thing that is wrong about this article is that it states myopia can not regress. There are many examples of people that have successfully regressed in their myopia. Many eye care professionals will tell you that it is not possible and also often prescribe glasses that are too strong which further worsen myopia. I started buying my own contacts with 0.25 diopters less every couple of months and I was able to improve my eyesight by about 1 diopter on each eye while still maintaining 20/20 vision. Unfortunately I was not able to go down all the way to 0 diopters and still need contacts, but I am happy that I was able to improve my eyesight somewhat.
Yesterday I went for an eye check up cause the distant objects were little bit blurry specially for the right eye(sph -0.25 which is really mild)..It was a relief that I was at early stage😅 so my doctor told me to increase outdoor activities and reduce my screen time. Whereas youtube reccomending me this article by Vox is such an eye opener🥲❤
Let’s follow this causality a little further. Kids are staying at home more because their parents are more protective and are anxious about their kids running around the neighbourhood. The parents are anxious because of all those stories in the mass-media about child abuse, paedophiles, kidnapping etc. But statistically, there are no more kidnappings /child abuse etc as 40 years ago, it’s just that they help to sell TV programmes better. So, parents, relax. The world is not really as bad as the media would make you think. Your kids will not only get better eyesight, they will also grow up to be more independent and self-reliant adults.
considering that spending time indoors a lot is a major factor in myopia, then that means that North American car dependent and depressing suburbs with zero sidewalks or any accommodation for anything outside a car is the main factor here. Kids that live in suburbs don’t go outside because they live in the most depressing desolate place so they stay inside all day playing article games or whatever. This also makes sense when rates of myopia started rising a lot in the 1970’s since that was when Canada & the US were rapidly expanding the car dependent suburbs
does wearing glasses prevent this elongation of the eyeball? for someone who is only slightly myopic, is it better to be wearing glasses all the time or to simply take breaks every few minutes while working to look at things further away? i don’t like wearing glasses because as soon as i take them off, i feel like my vision without glasses has weakened, for a minute or so afterward at least.
Doing Lasic was the single most important decision of my life. It is SO much worth it, and even tho the upfront cost is high, but over 5-10 years you would have spent that much of money on glasses/contacts too. The time I saved from putting in and out contacts every day alone is worth it, not even speaking about the freedom of vision after 20 years again.
Im kinda sad that everybody forgets the new glasses technology. Since 1-2 Years it’s possible to treat myopic also with glasses. They are new glasses form Hoya (Japanese glasses producing company) called “Miyosmart” that also reduces the growth of the eyeball. And they really work very well. They work so good that most glasses-company’s try to copy that, like Zeiss, Rodenstock or Essilor. I am a optican and most parent’s are not aware of the fact that they need to do something now, when they child is 4-7 years old, so spread the news ! 🙂
I totally agree with Miss Seang, kids and adolescents Asia spend most of their time.. rather days indoors and the whole blame is on education system and the increasing competition in the field of study. Ik that we shouldn’t blame something or someone else for our problems, rather solve them by taking responsibility for ourselves but less acknowledgement and self awareness has lead to this situation.
in another documentary i found on youtube a few years ago made the same pitch for spending time outdoors and looking around (not focused on your tablet or phone) – but they added another factor – i think it was Taiwan that turned around the upward trend of kids developing myopia – by constructing schools with larger windows that admitted a large amount of light (a minimum of i-don’t-remember-how-many lumens) – maybe that could/should be implemented with workplaces too – if possible
I’m just really curious, I’m extremely farsighted and 22, but my eyesight has been getting better, could a lack of outdoors and a lot up close looking be what’s correcting my eyesight? Since it’s making it more nearsighted and therefore less farsighted. For reference I was +9 as a kind and now I’m a +6
back in 2019, i went to the optometrist and they concluded i have astigmatism cause i have normally shaped eyeballs and that my astigmatism has been a thing since i was born and i thank my parents for allowing me to go outside and play hop scotch and tag and hide and seek with my friends which means that i won’t have to suffer from both astigmatism and myopia (hopefully)
As a fellow person using spectacles. Sitting on the train perusal this article. Like around, almost everyone has glasses… Truly is a pandemic. Anyone remember when tv networks did “a day of play”. Encouraging kids to go out. That should apply to social media and streaming platforms now. At least once a month, we can change the future. But only if we want to.
Something that prevents myopia is to not use glasses when it’s not necessary, or use the lowest graduation possible. Now I have two pairs of glasses, one for the computer and one to go outside, and my myopia basically stopped increasing (after a sharp increase from using one pair of glasses for everything).
As son with a mother that has myopia this article is very useful, never knew the exact reason it happens or how much of a problem it truly was till now This is really appreciated Btw does it have to do with growth in general and not just eye development? Because I see the tendency in today’s children to grow tall very fast to the point where they’re taller than their parents I would want to see a article on that too
I had to start wearing glasses just a year or so before I entered 5th-6th grade school. My parents and I tried really hard to get me out of the house as much as possible by getting me involved in some outdoor activities that the schools weren’t providing back in the early 2000’s. Both attempts failed catastrophically. One was horseback riding where someone stole both mine and my mother’s horse from my parents company grounds. The second was Tennis where I fell ill twice… The first time I had a terrible fever for about a week, and when I finally got back into it, I was falling far behind, and two weeks in I was put in with another much younger and much more inexperienced group. And the second time was Denge, which, while it was treated, left a side effect that caused some serious skin problems I’m still dealing with today.
I never had vision problems growing up, despite being an artist and doing a lot of that near work. But sometime in my 30’s I noticed I was squinting a lot and its only gotten worse. I really need to go get glasses because I’m tired of not being able to see things far away. Its especially bad on days where I’ve been looking at my phone a lot, like sometimes I can’t even read the big signs at the grocery store. :/ I can’t read much of anything that’s further away from me than 5 feet.
Okay, so I got my glasses when I was 12 year old, and it kept worsening to -3 now, but I can tell you that I’ve spent plenty of time outside, and didn’t get glued to computer screen until I was 15 or something, I practiced martial arts, so I had to be outside almost everyday for a couple of hours at least. Like I am thinking how I could’ve prevented it, but I seem to have spent enough time outside during my growing up years for this to not happen.
i used to back in 2015 or 2016 have 20/20 vision but now later somewhere around 2017 or 2018 my vision got worse and i only got classes in army in 2019 when i couldnt shoot the targets that well on a shooting range because i couldnt see them well i still shot well but it was more about knowing how to shoot than actually seeing where to shoot
I’ve been myopic since I was five, and I apparently have a slight lazy eye that I just learned about in adulthood. My left eye needs a very thick lens and seems to be unable to focus close or far away without glasses. Even with my prescription, it is still less focused than my right eye, which is just near sighted.
Thanks for explaining this topic in a more detailed way and also showing the scale at which it has become an issue. I started where glasses for shortsightedness at age 10. My parents, eye sight has remained good. I have been using computers since 8. I have been predominately in inside professions. We were warned early on by our parents not to sit too close to the T.V.. I have taught ICT in workplaces and schools and this is part of healthy computing. I am now 50 and my Myopia has developed later than normal (Usually in peoples 30’s in New Zealand). We now have children looking at screens at the age of 3 or 4. I unfortunately have never been offered any medical solutions except glasses and contact lenses. The special contact lenses mentioned in your article I only found out by, seeing and online medical advert. I was told they will not fix your downwards site. Unfortunately my downwards site is now at a stage, where it’s next reduction, will require surgery to fix as the muscle that controls this, ceases to do it’s job. I now have 3 pairs of glasses, one for screen, one for reading and one for normal functions like driving and walking, etc. I could not afford transition lenses and I also did not want them, due to their imprecision. Finally also not mentioned is the risks afforded to our environment, reduced blinking, smog and chemicals, injury and illnesses like diabetes. 🙂
Another problem from agriculture and me as a specialist in nutrition the amount of minerals is decreasing that in several cases only 20% of what was in eat in basic food cannot be found any more because the land and cultures we grow the crops in are so scarce and poor in quality due to the nitrogen nitrogen feeding and over expense roll growth of crops that the minerals are not sufficient in the Earth anymore. From the other side of the year also rice change of work daylight and behind the computer all day makes it not difficult for an eye to look on up until your arm or feet but beyond that it getting more blurry but that’s only for that part of the population who does that and unfortunately and luckily a big part of the population especially men look beyond a computer screen because they don’t like a computer screen like me although I work with him on Apple especially for more than 30 years almost 45 years. My eyesight is stable from the late 20s until now with minor points25 a special glass for the computering on site.
I didn’t realize until this article that it was abnormal that I “grew out of” needing glasses for nearsightedness. I needed them starting in 6th grade as I realized I couldn’t read the blackboard well but by the time I went off to college I had 20/20 vision naturally. Now in my 30s I have extremely mild presbyopia (so mild I don’t bother wearing glasses 99.9% of the time).
I have 20/20 vision yet every other person in my family; both parents, every grandparent, all of my siblings, and a large number of close relatives all have myopia or vision loss to a degree that requires glasses or surgery. I really took that for granted, now I think I need to be a bit more grateful for my genetic lottery win 😅
Omg i faced retinal tears and underwent a barrage laser surgery and worsening vision in my 20s and i am guilty of spending hours reading stuff up close and time indoors. I will be making some serious lifestyle changes now. Better late than never, right? Thanks for this incredibly informative article, Vox!
I started wearing glasses about 3 years after I stopped going out to play because my mom wouldn’t let me. 🙁 I studied so much, FOR WHAT?!!! I don’t know how bad my eye sights are. I never thought it was a big deal because everyone wear glasses and I liked my glasses but now I see that it’s kinda a big deal even if 40% of people have it today. Because I don’t want eye problems as I age.
I managed to get hyperopia (~+1.5) despite both parents having myopia (-3 or higher). My grandmother was farsighted, and I believe one of my cousins has similar prescription to myself. I think all of us have astigmatism in some form too. It was always weird being a teen and needing reading glasses as well as having chronic joint pain (hypermobility related), it made me feel old because that’s what elderly people would complain about. I even had a teen version of bifocals for a year in high school because I needed extra reading help, although they just made me trip because the magnification messed with my depth perception, which already is bad from the astigmatism. Now I have two pairs of glasses, although I mostly use the extra-magnification reading ones for sheet music, and magnify my computer screen a bit for everything else. Although if near-sightedness is from doing too much stuff up close, is my farsightedness from how often I’d stare out the window and zone out at school? Undiagnosed ADHD problems I guess.
I’ve never thought about this before, but the current generation has a lot of people (chronically online social media users, incels, online activists, gamers, people without friends, discord mods, etc) that need to touch grass. And we’ve always blamed technology, but I’m starting to realize it’s school that are making kids like this. Especially in Asia where they’ll reward you for being in your desk all day, and chastise you for wanting to play outside with friends instead of studying. Kids these days are punished for being “too” playful, social, energetic, loud or hands-on. They want everyone to sit quietly in their desks for hours on end doing nothing but listening to a grown up yap. We weren’t evolved for this.
There’s another possible myopia prevention method that researchers should look into. To do this, you make sure the wall you’re facing is at least 20 feet away in your workspace. This simulates myopia control lenses by creating myopic defocus. One other possible reason why being indoors may cause myopia is that there may be less myopic defocus. Imagine you have a desk and the wall is right in front of you. Your eye may think the wall is at infinity so it thinks it needs to grow. If you use a stronger prescription, your eye may grow even more, possibly repeating the cycle of needing a new prescription and causing further myopia progression. This method might prevent myopia progression when people stop using atropine or myopia control lenses after their doctor consider the treatment to be successful. The person with world record myopia apparently had myopia progression in his middle age!
I was diagnosed with amblyopia (where one eye has dramatically worse vision than the other, which eventually causes “lazy eye”) at 35! That is unheard of. It is usually diagnosed in young childhood (If you have ever seen a kid wearing an eye patch). I had no clue. I was diagnosed when I went to renew my driver’s license at the DMV. I went from never having glasses, always passing my eye exams with perfect vision growing up, to needing glasses to legally drive in one day! Again, unheard of! Luckily I was diagnosed before my right eye started shifting. Basically, my brain has stopped receiving information from my right eye, it’s neurological. My eyesight is 20/70. Based on the DMV formula I have to wear glasses, but if I had my bad eye removed or it went completely blind, then I wouldn’t. Go figure. When I wake up in the morning I have perfect visual perception, but after wearing my glasses for a few hours, and then take them, off, things are fuzzier, not sure if my glasses are helping or hurting. Treatment for amblyopia is antiquated, especially for adults, it’s frustrating
Cool article! I wear multifocal contact lenses when I’m out at work since I’m both near-sighted and far-sighted (+ I have an aversion to glasses). They get somewhat annoying when trying to read small text since they are designed to where you have to use your peripheral vision to focus up close…which, I haven’t mastered the art of reading with my peripherals. I hope they are actually helping out with my nearsightedness though.
Fascinating! Only thing I’d be hesitant about is use of atropine. It does paralyze the focusing muscles but it does so by dilating the eye. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it can cause light sensitivity and it lasts for days at a time. So if you need to get anything done, having blurry vision is quite annoying if it lasts for a few days.
I have – 3 myopia, I spent all my childhood outdoors, I’m from Algeria, we didn’t have indoor devices to look at, we didn’t even have a TV! Same with my friends at that time. Most of us have myopia now, I really don’t think it’s because of spending time indoor. One of my friends has 10/10 vision, he spent his life indoor front of screen playing games all day and night.
We shouldn’t narrow our minds to one reason. I was always outside and was near sighted. Very genetic in my family. Also, one must consider with the numbers that in the past most people were probably not counted due to lack of access to eye care. Im sure the modern factor of screen staring does play a factor these days.
In the end I think it’s also largely genetic. I’m my family the adults of each generation were obsessed with myopia prevention; making their kids wear special glasses, not allowing to look at things from too close, etc… we all still grow up to be nearsighted. Ever since glasses became accessible, myopia stopped being a disability and doesn’t decrease likelihood of survival. There’s no longer any natural control for it so the genes for it keep spreading.
I had near perfect eyesight most my life. Obviously it wasn’t completely perfect but I had good eyesight and there was no reason for me to ever get glasses. Both my parents have good eyesight too but my mum needs reading glasses now as she is farsighted. As a kid I even stupidly tried to get glasses by pretending to have bad eyesight because I thought they looked good but my eyesight was still considered too good for glasses. Then Covid happened. I spent all my time indoors staring at things very close and my vision drastically went downhill. At my yearly checkup before Covid I had perfect eyesight, a year later I was getting prescription lenses for myopia. 6 months later I needed new glasses because my old ones were no longer strong enough. According to my contact lenses, my left eye is -2 and my right eye is -2.25 but it’s probably worse now. I can’t read standard sized text on the tv 3 meters in front of me without glasses. It’s especially surprising because I wasn’t very an outdoorsy person before hand anyway. I would spend all day staring at my computer at school then I would come home and stare at my iPad for hours. But I guess my hour long walk home from school and going out on the weekends was enough to preserve my eyesight.
Can relate. Worked an office job and after… two years? needed some form of glasses for driving. Lost the job and during my months of unemployment didn’t spend time inside or in front of a computer as much, found I could easily read other license plates or road signs without glasses. New job and after maybe a month my need for the glasses for nearsightedness came right back.
I don’t want to have to spend hundreds of dollars just to be able to read the clock across the room. It’s so exhausting and stressful always being on edge about accidentally breaking or losing my glasses, because it’ll take weeks to get new ones. I’m just sooooo tired of it 🙁 And I’ve got high myopia (-6.50 and -6.75) so I’ve got 3-4 inches before my vision gets too blurry to see without glasses/contacts.
It would be interesting although unethical to run a 10 year long study where one group of children who still have “20/20″ vision wear reading glasses (+2.00D spherical) for all close work (push the work to 50cm / 20”) then another group also with “20/20″ vision but use no correction at all then after 10 years see how many still become myopic in the reading glasses group. In theory they shouldn’t become myopic because +2.00D cancels out the effect 50cm/20” has on accommodation.