At least one-third of the children between the ages of 5 to 15 years are expected to be affected by myopia (near-sightedness) by 2030.
Doctors said as an increase in screen time in the lifestyle of teenagers myopia can prevail in the teenagers.
Myopia is commonly known as nearsightedness this condition arises when the objects are clear when they are near and the objects get blurred as they become distant.
Not only in India but also worldwide myopia is increasing at a faster rate and the more affected ones are seen in the urban areas as per the experts. Studies have shown that in the period of 1999 to 2019 myopia among urban children has tripled in India from 4.44% to 21.15%.
The slope of 0.8% every year indicates that the prevalence of myopia among urban children will increase to 31.89% in 2013, 40% in 2014, and 48.1% in 2050. This means that one out of every two children in India will suffer from myopia in the next 25 years.
The symptoms of myopia include blurry vision, difficulty in seeing distant objects, eye strain, headache, and fatigue, particularly after prolonged screen use. Excessive screen time stimulates children’s eyes, retina, and brain, leading to accelerated myopic changes due to Rapid eyeball growth”.
The experts had also called up for public health initiative and educational campaigns related to eye problems.
One must take care of their lifestyle, food, and do eye exercises.
Author: Anushka Jaiswal
Anushka Jaiswal is pursuing a degree in journalism and Mass Communication. I am more interested in listening to the podcast rather than reading books. My hobbies include listening to music, journaling philosophical thoughts. From my school days I have taken a keen interest in debate competitions whether it is English or Hindi. I am not much indulged in the sports but I remain active in some of the co curricular activities like cycling, swimming, running, jogging and the like.
