The world is rapidly becoming more shortsighted.

Today, about 40 percent of the U.S. population has poor vision, and that number continues to rise steadily. Scientists say that By 2050, 50 percent of the world’s population – more than 5 billion people – will suffer from myopia.



Ophthalmologists believe that the rise in disease is mainly due to lifestyle changes caused by people spending more time indoors and working more..



In Asian countries with “excessively demanding educational systems,” myopia is even more common, as children sit at home and learn from early childhood. In addition, the overall increased average “screen time” when a person looks at a computer, tablet or mobile phone monitor plays a role.





Based on the data collected, the researchers expect the number of people with myopia to double by 2050; cases of high-grade myopia will rise five-fold over the same period.



Scientists admit that their study has some limitations - for example, not in all countries of the world you can get comprehensive information about the diseases of myopia, but even approximate forecasts they are very concerned.



For most people, myopia is just an inconvenience that can be easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses. However, for the billion people expected to have high-grade myopia, it will also cause an increased risk of other eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, retinal detachment, cataracts and glaucoma, which can lead to blindness. Researchers predict that by 2050, myopia will be the leading cause of total vision loss.



There are methods that ophthalmologists can recommend to patients to slow the development of myopia - among them special drops and contact lenses that reduce pressure in the eyeball (high pressure can be a sign of glaucoma). However, the researchers concluded that the government, the education system and the health care system must first work together to change the external factors that cause myopia. published



Author: Andrey Barabash



P.S. And remember, just changing our consumption – together we change the world!

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Source: hi-news.ru/research-development/mir-bystro-stanovitsya-vsyo-bolee-blizorukim.html