A myopia epidemic is sweeping the globe. Here’s how to stop it
www.nature.com
Time spent outdoors is the best defence against rising rates of short-sightedness, but scientists are searching for other ways to reverse the troubling trend.
  • acargitz@lemmy.caEnglish
    22·
    4 months ago

    Outdoors teaching is an idea we should really be doing more. It would have been useful to have during the pandemic, and it is still a good idea.

  • Sibbo@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    11·
    4 months ago

    Let’s hope there is a way to cure it.

    I always thought it was only genetic, so noone could do anything against a wrong eyeball shape. But this seems very uplifting.

    I wonder though why this article cites mainly eastern Asian sources. Is the rest of the world not interested in curing myopia?

    • Dept@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      21·
      4 months ago

      Wasn’t myopia linked to lack of exposure to sunlight while growing up? The cure is literally for children to go outside more. and for those with it LASIK is the only solution.

      • NABDad@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        4 months ago

        As I understand it, it isn’t sunlight, but distance.

        If a child spends all its time indoors focusing on nothing farther than the walls, myopia will result.

      • AquaTofana@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        4 months ago

        I’m actually about to get ICL surgery to correct mine in July @ 35 years old. Pretty stoked to not have to use glasses anymore. Though from what I’ve been told, it will make those of us who get ICLs more susceptible to early cataracts (like 60 years old or so versus 75, as we all will eventually get cataracts if we live long enough), and I’ll need a second surgery at that point for better lenses. But if I’m going to eventually need that surgery anyway to remove a cataract, then what’s it matter?

    • bitwaba@lemmy.worldEnglish
      81·
      4 months ago

      It has been a noticeable phenomena in East Asia for about 2 decades longer than the West. They’ve been studying it longer/have more data.

  • Shawdow194@kbin.social
    3·
    4 months ago

    Interesting that 3/10 people globally have myopia (near sightedness)… that’s absurdly high. And as the trends stay as they are they are only predicting an increase

    I guess it proves humans as a whole are focusing more on screens, books, and other short visions tasks

    Focusing on providing safe outdoor spaces for everyone has never been more important

    • Victor@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      4 months ago

      I guess it proves humans as a whole are focusing more on screens, books, and other short visions tasks

      For me it tells me that nature is not selecting good vision anymore. We are fixing our vision on the side of evolution. If this trait is easy to pass on, it doesn’t take many generations.

      A near-sighted hawk will never survive to live even a short life beyond its childhood nest. But we have glasses…

      Humanity will only suffer more and more ailments as medicine gets better and better, is my prediction. As long as the afflicted individuals have time to breed before dying.

      I’m only a layman though. Evolution isn’t my field. I might be talking out of my ass.