Myopia Awareness for Children

Myopia Awareness

Myopia (nearsightedness) is becoming a major public health crisis and is already having an impact on young people, increasing their risk of developing sight-threatening conditions later in life.

By 2050 there will be almost 5 billion people with myopia globally. Nearly 1 billion will be in the high myopia category, placing them at significantly increased risk of potentially blinding conditions like cataract, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and macular degeneration.

Myopia occurs when the muscles in and around the eyes are tense and strained. Over time, this stretches the eyeball into an elongated shape which causes light rays entering the eye to focus in front of the retina instead of on the retina. This results in blurry vision, nearsightedness. Early detection and treatment of initial myopia is associated with better outcomes of visual improvement and correction.