Cases of myopia increase among schoolchildren

2023-09-26 08:46:36

Cases of myopia also increase in childhood, in fact it has increased by 17.8% in the last six years, so that one in five schoolchildren now suffers from this visual defect. There are several reasons, but above all it is due to the time children spend doing tasks that involve close vision.

This is what it indicates the Myopia Barometer in Spain 2023prepared by the Complutense University of Madrid and the Alain Afflelou Foundation, based on the data obtained in the check-ups carried out on schoolchildren during a foundation campaign each year in its optical centers.

This prevalence of myopia, which in children has increased by three points since 2016, corresponds, according to the barometer, to an increasing trend in the general population around the world.

Reasons for the increase in cases

As explained byan optician-optometrist and predoctoral researcher at Complutense Ana Isabel González Abadwho has participated in the analysis of the data, the increase in myopia among schoolchildren is due to different issues.

“It corresponds, above all, to the time that children spend doing certain tasks that involve close vision, such as reading or studying, or using electronic devices for a long time, without keeping their distance and with insufficient lighting,” says González Abad.

These activities make them spend less time outdoors “making use of distance vision.”

“Essential” for learning

Given that 80% of learning is obtained through vision, experts find it necessary to prevent visual problems in children and pay attention to possible signs that may indicate a visual defect in them.

In fact, as González Abad points out, good vision is “essential for learning” so any problem in this sense “can even become a cause of academic failure.”

EFE/Welcome Velasco

For this reason, the expert insists, it is essential “that families become aware of the need to know the state of their children’s vision.

However, the National Association of Optical Entrepreneurs and Professionals (ANEOP) estimates that Half of schoolchildren need glasses and their parents don’t know it.

When to suspect that there is a visual problem?

There are certain signs that help identify that there is a visual problem, among them, when we see that the child moves too close or too far away when reading, tilts his head, confuses letters, skips words, slows down when reading or has problems. of reading difficulty.

Thus, if visual problems are not treated, it can affect both their education and their reading comprehension, and other problems may even appear. like strabismus or lazy eyeas pointed out by the training director of the Alain Affelelou Foundation, Ana Díaz Llorente.

For all these reasons, it is key to have an early diagnosis and a vision exam at the beginning of school age, as well as periodic check-ups, is recommended.

To prevent the evolution of myopia It is recommended that children do outdoor activities for at least two hours a day, so that they can rest their eyesight. But also preventing them from doing close-up vision activities at home for a period of time, such as reading, using screens or painting.