Myopia, or short-sightedness, is apparently on the increase globally – good news for spec makers, bad news for squinting patients who can’t see the TV, or more worryingly, the road signs! If you’re short sighted you can see really sharply close too, at a point near to your eye which will vary according to your degree of myopia. Distance however is a problem, and as the spec lens prescription increases, so too does your problem. At -1.00 you can cross the road if you squint, at -8.00 you can’t even see the road!
Interestingly, your genetic background affects your chances of being myopic, with the highest incidence in eastern Asia. If you have that ethnic background you’re more likely to be myopic even if you live elsewhere. So myopia is one and half to two and a half times more likely in adult Chinese people than in the same age group from European derived people.
As yet there is no concrete evidence as to why this eye defect is on the increase. Some researchers believe that increased hours of close work are a factor, and that as formalised education and the use of computers increase, so will myopia. Some think that intensity of close work rather than time spent may be a factor. There may be some link with nutrition, as our diets now have increased levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and processed foods. Spending more time outdoors may protect against myopia, possibly due to more light intensity, or by constantly looking into the far distance.
While the jury is out on prevention, a cure can be found with specs, contact lenses, or Laser surgery. There is a huge variety of options in contact lens wear, and the good news is that with this common condition progress is made all the time. For specs you need a thinned down lens, an anti-reflection layer to reduce the dreaded bottle-bottom look, and a smaller rather than a larger sized frame to cut lens weight and thickness. Laser surgery may be an option if your prescription is not too high, your optician will be happy to advise you.