Electronic devices and sedentary lifestyles increase nearsightedness
In Vietnam, there is no nationwide survey on the rate of school-acquired nearsightedness, but the rate of refractive errors in children is increasing rapidly, especially in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
At the seminar "Solutions to improve modern vision" organized by Nhan Dan Newspaper on August 6, Dr. Bui Huu Toan (Department of Disease Prevention, Ministry of Health) said: Nearsightedness is no longer simply a genetic problem but is increasingly greatly affected by modern lifestyles.
Children currently spend many hours each day studying and having fun on smartphones, tablets or computers. Constantly looking at the screen at close range causes the eye to have to adjust for a long time, increasing the risk of developing nearsightedness.
Along with that, outdoor play time is increasingly narrowed. In many cities, children have less opportunity to be exposed to natural light due to academic pressure, lack of play space or spending most of their time at home.
Natural light plays an important role in protecting the eyes and slowing the progression of nearsightedness. However, many children today are almost only exposed to the indoor environment" - Dr. Bui Huu Toan said.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Ngan - Vice President of the Vietnam Ophthalmology Association, Deputy Director of Hospital 103 - said that nearsightedness currently affects about 30% of the world's population. In the US, the rate of nearsightedness has increased from 21% to 41% in just three decades, while in some areas such as Hong Kong and Taiwan (China), the rate of young people with nearsightedness is up to 80%.
The reason for the increase in the rate of refractive errors is the increasing use of electronic devices among young people, for a long time with short distances. Many young people lack outdoor activities, many schools in big cities do not have playgrounds for children, so children lack adequate and spacious vision..." - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Ngan pointed out.
Many family habits unintentionally weaken children's eyes
Besides using electronic devices, experts believe that many daily habits also contribute to children increasing nearsightedness faster.
Many students still sit in the wrong posture, read books too close, study in low light conditions or use phones continuously without letting their eyes rest.
From a family perspective, many parents have not formed the habit of taking their children for regular eye exams. Many children are only diagnosed with nearsightedness when their vision has clearly decreased, or continue to wear mismatched glasses for a long time because they do not re-examine.
According to Dr. Bui Huu Toan, parents, teachers and students' awareness of prevention as well as management of refractive errors is still limited, causing many cases to miss the "golden time" to control myopia progression.
If not monitored and treated properly, severe nearsightedness can lead to many dangerous complications such as glaucoma, retinal detachment or macular degeneration, causing irreversible vision loss.
Experts advise that prevention of nearsightedness needs to start from daily living habits. Children should sit and study in the correct posture, keep a distance from their eyes to books of about 30-35cm, study in sufficient light conditions and limit the use of electronic devices for a long time.
When using a phone or computer, the 20-20-20 rule should be applied: after every 20 minutes of looking at the screen, let your eyes rest for 20 seconds by looking about 6m away. At the same time, children need to spend at least 1-2 hours a day outdoors to help their eyes regulate naturally and slow the progress of nearsightedness.
In addition to a full diet, parents should take their children for annual regular eye exams to detect refractive errors early. Doctors also recommend not to arbitrarily buy contact lenses or vision correction lenses floating online, but to be examined and consulted at specialized facilities.
