Myopia is another word for short-sightedness or near-sightedness, which is a type of uncorrected refractive error and is a common cause of vision impairment. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) 28% of the World’s population suffered from myopia in 2010. This number is predicted to increase to 34% by 2020 and 50% by 2050. The prevalence of myopia in Australia is alarming, qualifying it as a public health crisis. It’s been estimated that 36% of Australians will be affected by this type of refractive error by 2020, according to a study conducted by the University of New South Wales. As part of our 2019 - 2023 Strategy, The Fred Hollows Foundation is committed to making effective refractive error prevention and treatment accessible to all. Access to proper eye care remains a global challenge and The Foundation is working towards building refractive error into national health plans in the countries where we work. Our key goals include:
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Myopia is an eye condition where objects and images at a distance appear blurry. So even if your child is able to see images and objects up close clearly, they might not be able to identify them from a distance. Hence the term, near- or short-sightedness. Myopia is usually an inherited eye condition that occurs because the distance between the cornea (the clear protective outer layer) and the retina (the thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye on the inside) is too long. So, instead of the light focusing on the retina, it focuses in front of the retina.
The cause of myopia can be both genetic and environmental, and it usually occurs during childhood and worsens during puberty. It is believed that myopia is usually hereditary. So children can develop myopia if their parents or other family members have the condition. Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too long or the cornea is too curved. Because of this, the light entering the eye doesn't focus correctly, making distant images and objects look blurry. Children can also develop myopia due to their environment. For example, if they don’t spend enough time outdoors in their backyard, school playground or a local park. This lack of exposure to natural sunlight and far horizons where they can focus their eyes on distant objects can cause short-sightedness. Secondary to this, spending a lot of time reading or viewing a computer device such as a tablet, laptop, smartphone or desktop monitor may also be a contributing factor. This is worsened if they don’t spend enough time outdoors where they focus their eyes on distant objects. Myopia can also develop in adults due to chronic conditions like diabetes. Myopia can cause blindness resulting from cataract, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and myopic macular degeneration.
The following symptoms may indicate that you or someone you know has myopia:
These are the symptoms to watch out for in kids who may be too young to convey their distress:
Myopia is detected by a simple medical examination where an optometrist or ophthalmologist asks the patient to read from a Snellen chart. Your specialist will also do a refraction examination to see how your eyes focus light - they will do this by testing your eyes through a number of lenses that will help evaluate the focusing power of your eyes. These tests allows your eye doctor to determine the type of optical lenses you’ll be needing to correct your blurry vision
While genetics play a big part in whether a child develops myopia or not, it is possible to reduce the chances of exacerbating it by controlling these environmental factors:
Further to this, the usual progression of myopia can be prevented or slowed by using special ortho-k hard contact lenses.
The content on this page is not intended to be medical advice. For medical advice, please contact your local health professional. All statistics quoted use the most recent information available, to the best of our knowledge.
The Fred Hollows Foundation has been working in Vietnam for over 25 years. Watch this video to discover the achievements we have made over these years and check out our YouTube channel for more videos about the work we do around the world.