Myopia

A: Also called short/nearsightedness, it is a refractive error where near objects are seen more clearly than distant ones.

A: The main risk factors for myopia are family history and limited outdoor time coupled with extensive near visual habits.

A: Myopia is a multifactorial disease. Ample outdoor time every day is essential to potentially prevent, or at least delay its onset.

A: No, the younger a child is myopic, the longer the time they will have to get worse, and this increases the risk of sight-threatening diseases later in life.

A: All myopia control treatments have been shown to halve the progression rate; however, the modality, whether it be glasses, contact lenses, eye drops, etc will depend on the individual case and can be discussed with your optometrist.

A: Half of the world’s population is predicted to be myopic by 2050.

A: Not necessarily. It is the habit of bringing the screen progressively closer with prolonged concentration.

A:

2 hours of outdoor time per day
A visual break after every 20 minutes of near work
At least a forearm’s distance away from all near tasks