Alarming increase in school-related myopia.
In recent years, the incidence of myopia among schoolchildren has been rapidly increasing. Alarmingly, many children in the community with myopia are either undiagnosed or diagnosed late, preventing timely correction and treatment. This has led to more severe myopia, causing them significant difficulties in their daily lives and studies.
(Baonghean)In recent years, the incidence of myopia among schoolchildren has been rapidly increasing. Alarmingly, many children in the community with myopia are either undiagnosed or diagnosed late, preventing timely correction and treatment. This has led to more severe myopia, causing them significant difficulties in their daily lives and studies.
In Nghe An province, according to a survey by the Nghe An Eye Center, the average rate of myopia among children aged 6-16 is 15%. In Vinh City alone, it is 30-40%. Every day, the Nghe An Eye Center examines and detects approximately 10 children with myopia. Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung (Nghe An Eye Center) stated: "School-related myopia is currently an alarming issue. Children today are very susceptible to myopia because they watch too much television, sit too close to computers, have incorrect postures while studying, and the lighting in classrooms is insufficient. Because it is not detected early, most children only come to medical facilities for examination when their myopia is already very severe."
According to statistics, the rate of myopia and other refractive errors in schoolchildren is mainly concentrated among primary school students. In 2010, a survey at Ha Huy Tap 1 Primary School revealed that nearly 100 out of 800 students had myopia, with 10 of them having vision below 7/10 and requiring regular glasses. Tran Ba Ngoc, a 10-year-old student in class 4A at Ha Huy Tap 1 Primary School, is one example. He was diagnosed with myopia more than a year ago and currently needs glasses with a prescription of 3.5 diopters. In class, his teacher always has to seat him at the front desk because he can't see the blackboard clearly from a distance, and even during playtime, he feels very restricted. This is due to watching too much television and reading books at close range when he was younger.
About 10 years ago, children started developing nearsightedness at the age of 10 or older, but now it's happening at much younger ages, from 6 to 8 years old. At this age, children are not yet able to recognize the signs of nearsightedness, and few parents notice the condition in their children. Therefore, by the time it's discovered, the condition is often severe. Eight-year-old Tran Thi Quynh Trang, a student at Do Luong Town Primary School, was diagnosed with 2 diopters of nearsightedness at the Nghe An Eye Hospital. Her grandfather, Tran Dinh Ky, said: "The other day, when I visited her while she was studying, I noticed she was writing many numbers incorrectly, her handwriting was not straight, and it was getting worse. I asked her, and she said her eyesight wasn't good, and it was getting blurry. I suggested her parents take her for an eye exam, and that's when we found out she had nearsightedness."
"Currently, there is no cure for nearsightedness. The treatment method is surgery, but only for people over 20 years old with stable myopia for one year. Therefore, prevention and limiting nearsightedness is the best method by ensuring children sit in the correct posture while studying, ensuring sufficient lighting in the study room, and preventing children from watching television or reading for too long," said Dr. Nguyen Huu Dung.
Myopia in children can significantly affect their natural development, potentially leading to poor academic performance and increased risk of accidents. Therefore, close attention and care from parents, teachers, and the community are essential.
From Thanh
