Many children have vision problems since childhood, due to which they wear glasses at an early age. Actually, myopia or nearsightedness in children is a matter of concern worldwide. This problem occurs in children when their eyeballs become long. Due to this, children see nearby things clearly, but distant things appear blurred. Earlier this problem was not so common, but now it is increasing rapidly and is especially seen in children. Let us tell you why the risk of myopia is increasing in children and what do doctors say about it?

Why is the risk of myopia increasing in children?

Myopia is a genetic disease. If one of the parents is myopic then the risk of this increases in the child. However, if both mother and father are affected, then the risk is even greater. Research shows that our genes influence the growth of the eyes and due to this heredity the eyeballs can become longer. Due to which distant objects may appear blurry, but genes are not the only reason behind the increasing myopia around the world.

Danger from lifestyle and screen time too

According to doctors, nowadays the lifestyle of children is becoming a major reason for increasing myopia. Studying for a long time on things like phone and laptop, playing games puts pressure on the eyes of children. Whereas children’s eyes remain safe by playing outdoor games and spending time in natural sunlight. Research shows that spending 90 to 120 minutes a day in natural sunlight can slow down abnormal eye growth. But lack of space in cities, exam pressure and less opportunities to play outside are reducing this security for children. According to a WHO report, almost half the world’s population may become myopic by 2050. Early onset of myopia, especially in children, can increase the risk of serious eye problems in the future. These problems include serious diseases like retina constriction and glaucoma.

What should parents do?

According to doctors, daily habits are more important than genes in preventing or reducing myopia. In such a situation, parents can reduce the risk of myopia by making small changes in their children. For this, parents can get their children’s eyes checked every year, so that this problem is caught on time. Apart from this, send children to play outside for at least one to two hours every day. Limit the screen time of children and prevent them from spending continuous time on mobile or laptop. Apart from this, parents can also adopt the 20-20-20 rule on children, in which after every 20 minutes of studying or watching the screen, they have to look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This problem can also be reduced by including Vitamin A, C and Omega-3 in children’s diet.

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