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Post by Ms. Kathy on Jun 17, 2004 16:54:11 GMT -6
MyopiaMyopia is a fairly common and correctable error in the eye. Another name is nearsightedness. People who have "myopic" eyes can see well close up but not at a distance. the definiton below comes from EyeMD.com.
Myopia
Also referred to as:
Nearsightedness
Refractive Error
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition of the eye in which images are formed in front of the retina, resulting in a blurred image. This occurs when the eye is relatively too long or the refractive powers of the cornea and lens of the eye are relatively too strong.
Myopia usually begins in childhood, and progressively worsens until adulthood is achieved, usually about 18 to 21 years of age.
www.eyemdlink.com/
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Post by Guest on Aug 4, 2004 16:08:49 GMT -6
Can any of these lead to blindness?
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Post by Ms. Kathy on Aug 6, 2004 3:29:23 GMT -6
Most of the time the condition is stable. In extremely rare cases can someone with nearsightedness become blind. Degenerative myopia may lead to legal blindness. There is a chance because of the shape of myopic eyes that a severe blow to the head can more easily lead to retinal detachment than for "regular" eyes. The reason is that the oblong football shape stretches the tissue of cells inside the eye.
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Post by Ms. Kathy on May 1, 2007 7:24:38 GMT -6
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Post by Ms. Kathy on May 15, 2007 10:14:57 GMT -6
Boy may not notice his mild nearsightedness Source Link: NJ.com--The Star Ledger www.nj.com/living/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1179203506258460.xml&coll=1Tuesday, May 15, 2007 I recently received a note from the school nurse indicating that the vision in my 10-year-old son's right eye is weaker since his checkup last year. I took him to see optometrist. She suggested that he wear glasses for viewing things at a distance. It seems too early for him to wear glasses, and it is inconvenient. He is still growing. If you could give me a second opinion, I will appreciate it. Most visual screening is done by the use of a Snellen Eye Chart. The chart is viewed from a distance of 20 feet and the person is asked to identify letters or objects that get progressively smaller with each line from the top. The term "20/20 vision" is considered normal and each eye is evaluated by covering the other eye during testing. Vision occurs in a specialized part of the brain that perceives images received by the retina at the back of the eye. Images pass through the clear part of the eye called the cornea and focused by a lens. When the image is focused in front of the retina, a person is able to see images that are close, but may have difficulty seeing images at a distance very clearly. This condition is called myopia or "nearsightedness." This can occur if the eyeball is elongated or the curve of the cornea is abnormal. Myopia is a very common condition. It is estimated that 10 percent of U.S. children from 5 to 17 years have myopia, increasing to 25 percent between the ages of 13 and 55. Hyperopia or "farsightedness" occurs when the image is focused behind the retina and occurs with a shortened eyeball. Distant images are seen clearly and corrective lens are needed to see objects that are near. Eyeglasses use lens that vary in strength called diopters. The lens are designed to correctly focus images on the retina, compensating for the eyeball length or curve of the cornea. Diopters with negative numbers are used to treat myopia and positive diopters correct for farsightedness. The prescription for your son indicates that he has mild or low myopia of his right eye. Most likely your son's right eye is 20/40 and vision in his left eye is 20/20, since there is no corrective diopter for that lens. I use 20/40 as a threshold for referral for glasses, after asking about whether the condition has any effect on functioning (seeing the blackboard, sports, etc.). Given the normal vision of his right eye, it is unlikely that he has noticed a problem. I started wearing glasses for myopia at age 13, but feel that anyone wearing glasses should wear them continuously, because its somewhat awkward to constantly take your glasses on and off for distance. If his vision was worse, glasses would be advisable, even if he were younger and still growing. Your son's need for glasses is, in my opinion, borderline, with normal vision in one eye and very mild myopia in the other. If he is not having a problem and is unlikely to wear the prescribed glasses, I would delay purchasing the glasses and wait for his next yearly evaluation to see if the myopia progresses.
Write to Dr. Kendall Sprott at New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave., Newark, N.J. 07112. Or e-mail him at sprottkr@umdnj.edu.
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Post by Ms. Kathy on May 15, 2007 10:18:05 GMT -6
HK holds first international symposium on orthokeratologyMore than 150 participants from 11 countries and regions Monday participated in the first ever International Symposium on Orthokeratology organized by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Optometry. With the aim to present the current science and practice of orthokeratology and to set the standard on related practice, the event provided a forum for clinicians, practitioners, academics and researchers to keep abreast of updated knowledge in this discipline. Leading optometry experts including Dr. Pauline Cho of Polytechnic University's School of Optometry have presented their views on pertinent issue related to orthokeratology at the symposium. When dealing with the importance of good compliance and practices in orthokeratology, Dr. Pauline Cho said that while wearing Ortho-K lenses have been clinically proven to control myopia, the special lenses, like any other contact lenses, might not be suitable for all, especially for those with tight eye lips, high myopia or astigmatism. Cho emphasized that good compliance is essential to ensure safety of wearing Ortho-K contact lenses, and patients should seek the treatment from those registered optometrists with specialized training. Source: Xinhua People's Daily Online --- english.people.com.cn/ Source Link: People's Daily Online english.people.com.cn/200705/14/eng20070514_374471.html
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Post by Ms. Kathy on May 15, 2007 10:21:45 GMT -6
Lasik eye surgery good for students?By: Matias Chavez Posted: 5/14/07 For fourth-year finance student Sommer Wagoner, the world was in a constant state of blurriness. However, after a 15-minute procedure Wagoner could see perfectly. "I had been wearing glasses ever since I was in fifth grade because I was blind as a bat," Wagoner said. "I know it seems like a simple thing to most people, but you don't know how irritating it is to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to see the alarm clock." Earlier this year Wagoner underwent LASIK laser eye surgery to correct her dismal vision. LASIK is a procedure intended to correct common eye disorders such as hyperopia (farsightedness), myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism (distorted vision). A similar procedure to the LASIK procedure was developed in 1948 in Bogotá, Colombia. "It has been my experience that most people who get the procedure done do it as a quality of life issue," said Dr. James Ellis, the Vision Service Coordinator for the University of Cincinnati. "Patients can put their glasses and contacts away and not be burdened by them any longer." The procedure is preformed with the patient conscious and mobile, and is usually given a mild sedative such as Valium as well as anesthetic eye drops. The surgeon uses a knife to cut a flap of corneal tissue, removes the tissue beneath it with the laser, and then replaces the flap. "The surgeon is essentially a sculptor reshaping the cornea," Ellis said. The number and length of the incisions determines the degree of correction attained, and the average time for each eye is between 25-35 seconds. The entire procedure generally lasts no longer than fifteen minutes. "I was impressed with how quick the surgery lasted," Wagoner said. "And I literally was able to see more clearly as soon as the procedure was completed." "The patient's vision should be 20/25 immediately after completion of the procedure, no matter what shape their eyes were beforehand," Ellis said. "After surgery, we want the patient to go home and nap for a couple of hours because sleeping helps the cornea heal. When the patient wakes up they will be seeing pretty darn good." Patients should expect to feel some mild discomfort such as pressure on and around the eyes during the treatment. After the treatment, patients are given specialty goggles designed to block out any light that might irritate their eyes. "I only had to wear the goggles on the way home," Wagoner said. "After that my eyes were fine and I never had to wear them again." All patients react differently to the surgery, but recovery time after the LASIK procedure is typically one day. Patients are not permitted to drive on the day of the treatment; however, they may drive as soon as they feel comfortable and confident to drive safely. "I was back to school and work the next day," Wagoner said "It's like my old eyes were replaced by new eyes, the way a burnt light bulb is replaced by a new one." Although the procedure has many benefits there are, however, some risks. While it is unlikely, some patients may experience corneal abrasion, dry eyes, or night glare and halos. Night glares and halos occur when the pupils dilate and allowing rays of light to scatter before reaching the retina. This happens at night when the pupils dilate to allow light into the eye. These symptoms may sometimes increase after surgery. "The risks of the LASIK treatment are very little," Ellis said. "I have been doing this for 10 years and have preformed and observed hundreds of procedures and so far I have not seen one bad thing happen. This procedure is almost bulletproof." There are some risks, but most patients are pleased with the results. "It is so nice being able to see clearly," Wagoner said. "Anyone who is sick and tired of having to squint all day and all night should really get this done." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source Link: The News Record--The University of Cincinnatti's Independent Student Newspaper: media.www.newsrecord.org/media/storage/paper693/news/2007/05/14/CollegeLiving/Lasik.Eye.Surgery.Good.For.Students-2902730.shtml
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Post by Ms. Kathy on May 17, 2007 9:20:17 GMT -6
[They needed a study for this? They could have asked me and my family!  ] Bad sight inherited: studySource Link: The Border Mail www.bordermail.com.au/news/bm/national/785923.htmlA NEW study of twins has pointed the finger of blame at heredity for causing short sightedness. Mohamed Dirani, of Australia’s Vision Co-operative Research Centre, believes myopia is most likely to be caused by genetics. Dr Dirani said the results of his twin study “support a strong genetic basis to myopia”. “We have found that an identical twin has an 80 per cent chance of developing myopia if their twin has myopia, versus a 40 per cent chance if you are a non-identical twin,” he said. |
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Post by Ms. Kathy on Sept 25, 2007 10:57:52 GMT -6
Perfect vision in the blink of an eye Sep 24 2007 Source Link: icWales icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/health/tm_headline=perfect-vision-in-the-blink-of-an- by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail Cutting-edge technology means that patients no longer have to suffer with poor vision or even wear glasses. Health editor Madeleine Brindley reports on two of the latest corrective techniques available at local opticians Perfect vision while you sleepCondition: Myopia (short-sightedness)
Treatment: Ortho K systemWhat is it: Correcting short-sightedness while you sleep may sound like a dream, but it has become a reality, thanks to a safe system of sight correction now available from local opticians. The Ortho K system is seen as an attractive option to laser surgery, as it is fully reversible. It has won the support of opticians and the Institute of Optometry, which is recommending the new system to some of its patients. The concept is simple: to reshape the cornea, by less than a hair’s width, to its correct position, thereby providing 20/20 vision. The technology to do this has been around since the 1960s but it has not been widely available because it was expensive to produce the lenses and time-consuming for the optician to prescribe. Now, modern technology allows an optician to take detailed topographical maps of each eye’s cornea and email these to a state-of-the-art contact lens laboratory in Hastings where tailor-made lenses are made for each eye. The reverse geometry, super gas permeable lenses, are worn overnight, during which time they gently correct the shape of the window of the eye. In the morning they are removed, leaving the patient with perfect vision. The sight correction generally lasts for the entire day, sometimes longer – some patients only needing to wear the Ortho K lenses every other night. The system is popular in Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Australia and the Ortho K system is considered ideal for many children as the effects are fully reversible and allows them to enjoy a full school day and sports without having to think about glasses or lenses. Some practitioners believe, and recent studies have indicated, that the use of Ortho K lenses may slow down the progression of myopia. How much does it cost: Ortho K lenses are similar in cost to conventional contact lenses. Who will benefit: Anyone who has a prescription of no more than -4.50 dioptres and an astigmatism of no more than -1.50 dioptres is likely to benefit from Ortho K. For more information ask your optician – call No 7 for a list of opticians providing Ortho K on 01424 850620 or call the Institute of Optometry on 020 7407 4183. The website address is www.orthoklenses.comTake a closer look at lensesCondition: Cataracts, myopia and hyperopia (long-sightedness) and deteriorating vision Treatment:Intraocular lens replacement treatmentWhat is it:Over the past two decades, laser procedures such as Lasik have been used to improve vision by reshaping the cornea of the eye. These procedures have helped mainly patients below the age of 45 to see better, but not everyone is suitable for such permanent treatment. An innovative alternative has been to implant synthetic lenses into the eye, either in addition to the eye’s natural lens, or as a replacement – removing the need for conventional contact lenses or for glasses. Athar Khatib, a consultant ophthalmologist at the MDA Clinic, in Pontcanna, has bought the latest vision technology to Cardiff, which has seen many of his patients no longer needing glasses for near or far distance vision. The intraocular lens replacement treatment uses ReZoom or Tecnis multi-focal lenses, which are implanted into the eye and allow vision to return to that of a young person with good eyesight. Some patients opt for the multi-focal lenses simply to free themselves of glasses. Others treated at the MDA Clinic are undergoing lens replacement surgery because of cataracts, but select the latest technology rather than a simple mono-focal lens, which would mean that they would still need glasses. Mr Khatib said, “Much as other parts of our body can now be replaced – hip and knee joints, as examples – because they have become tired, so we can help the eyes return to the vision of our youth with this 15 minute operation.” Paul Young, 63, a chartered accountant from Treorchy, was treated at the clinic. He said, “I had been wearing glasses since I was 24 for my short-sightedness and I do a lot of close work with my job but my eyesight had really started to deteriorate. My optician identified that this was due to a cataract and suggested that I went to see Mr Khatib.” Paul had his lenses replaced with the advanced Tecnis multi-focal lenses which have progressive powers built into them. He said, “I felt so liberated from wearing glasses. I like photography and looking at wildlife, watching cricket and football, and this treatment has made me feel 10 years younger.” Caroline Morris, 52, who runs her own greetings card business, from Blackwood, also saw Mr Khatib. She had no sign of cataracts but wanted to be free of glasses and contact lenses. She said, “I had been wearing glasses since the age of five and I had reached the stage when I could not read anything without them. My sister had the operation and it was such a success that I decided to have it too.” For more information visit www.mdaclinic.co.uk or call 029 2035 3950
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Post by Ms. Kathy on Oct 3, 2007 8:41:44 GMT -6
VISION RESTORATION
Corneal reshaping therapy an alternative to eye surgeryBy Nick Thomas Source Link: chicagotribune.com www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-1002_health_lens_roct02,1,4815440.story October 2, 2007 Like millions of Americans plagued with nearsightedness, Daniel Mandel had required contact lenses or glasses to see clearly since his early teenage years. But that changed several years ago when the Glencoe man awoke one morning and just couldn't believe his eyes. For the first time since childhood, Mandel could focus on the world around him with perfect vision and without the aid of contacts or corrective glasses. Mandel's vision restoration was accomplished without surgery, but it wasn't a medical mystery. Before retiring the previous night, he had placed a special contact lens in each eye. As he slept, the lens applied gentle pressure to the cornea, which is the clear covering on the front of the eyeball. This caused the cornea to flatten and reshape so that light would again focus properly on the back of his eyes. "It was just amazing," said Mandel, now a 21-year-old Harvard University senior. "My vision was better than it had ever been." Mandel had been too young to try laser surgery to treat his myopia, so optometrist Dr. Barry Eiden suggested the less intrusive corneal reshaping (CR) therapy. "You have to wear the special lenses every night," said Eiden, director of North Suburban Vision Consultants in Deerfield. When the lenses are removed in the morning, patients usually experience near perfect vision for the rest of the day. On the down side, the process is not permanent, and the corneas will revert to their original shape in one or two days. Although less expensive than laser surgery, the initial cost is still steep, around $1,000-$2,000, which generally covers all lenses and follow-up care for a year. "Maintenance costs after Year One are similar to traditional contact lenses," Eiden said. "So it's still a great alternative for people who don't want laser surgery but want to be free from regular contacts or glasses." The technology to reshape the cornea with contact lenses has been around since the 1960s, when it originally was known as orthokeratology. But vision correction with early lenses was unreliable, and the lenses could not be worn overnight. "Cases of eye infections were also reported overseas due to poor hygiene and where non-FDA approved lenses were used," Eiden said. "The lens designs and materials have been greatly improved, and we now use computer software and corneal topography to map a patient's corneas and custom fit each lens." With nearly 2,000 of his patients using the CR lenses, Eiden estimates that more than 90 percent are happy with the results. "Where there are problems, it's usually because a patient has sensitive eyes and just can't tolerate the lenses, which are harder then regular soft contacts," he said. "And just like any contact lens, proper cleaning and eye hygiene are essential; otherwise infections can occur." Palatine optometrist Dr. Robert Gerowitz, another of only a dozen or so Illinois optometrists prescribing the CR lenses, said, "Out of some 80,000 optometrists in the U.S., only about 2,500 fit these lenses." Gerowitz and Eiden are involved in an FDA study examining myopia in 300 youths ages 8 through 14. The five-year study began last January and involves 10 optometry clinics across the U.S., including five in Illinois. "Our own clinical work suggests wearing corneal reshaping lenses can actually halt or slow down the progression of myopia in children," said Eiden, who developed the project with Dr. Robert Davis of Oak Lawn. Some overseas studies support Eiden's theory, as do patients such as Mandel. "When I first got regular contacts, my prescription would change each year," Mandel recalled. "The corneal reshaping lenses seemed to stabilize my vision. Now it's like I'm seeing in high definition!"
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Post by Ms. Kathy on Oct 4, 2007 13:50:33 GMT -6
OSN SuperSite Breaking News 10/3/2007 Source Link: OSN SuperSite www.osnsupersite.com/view.asp?rID=24220Bone dysplasias may be linked to abnormal ocular findingsAbnormal vitreous, myopia and peripheral cataract with lens subluxation may be associated with heritable skeletal disorders resulting from a mutation in the gene coding for type II collagen, according to a study by researchers in the United Kingdom. There may additionally be a high risk of retinal detachment with a propensity for retinal tears at younger ages because of the defect, the authors noted. "Reports published before the causative mutations [in the gene coding for type II collagen] were discovered suggest heritable bone dysplasias with skeletal malformations may be associated with a vitreoretinopathy," the authors said. Sarah P. Meredith, MD, and colleagues reviewed 14 patients with a molecularly characterized type II collagenopathy chondrodysplasia. They found that 13 patients had a highly abnormal vitreous appearance. One 11-year-old patient also had a total retinal detachment, while two other children aged 2 years and 4 years had multiple bilateral flat retinal tears, according to the study. In addition, 10 of 12 patients who had their refraction measured had myopia. Two patients had asymptomatic lens opacities: one associated with bilateral inferiorly subluxed lenses and the other with a zonule and lens coloboma, the authors reported. The study is published in the September issue of British Journal of Ophthalmology. |
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Post by Ms. Kathy on Oct 4, 2007 13:54:07 GMT -6
Does reading in the dark hurt your eyes?- asks Bill from New York By Morgen E. Peck, posted October 3rd, 2007. When I was in second grade, I locked myself in the bathroom and read Beverly Cleary’s “Dear Mr. Henshaw” from back to front. The rush of it was enough that I started trying to fit longer and longer books into a single day and often found myself as a literate outlaw, reading after hours in a dark bedroom. Today, I wear corrective lenses, and I sometimes wonder how much Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys are to blame. Not much, as it turns out. Doctors have been trying for ages to debunk a myth that reading in dim lighting causes permanent damage to your eyes. But a debate lingers among some scientists who say that myopia (or nearsightedness) may be partially caused by environmental factors during childhood. When the eye adjusts to lower levels of light, many reversible things happen. Muscles around the iris relax and allow the pupil to dilate so that more light will enter and hit the back of the eye. This rear area is where photoreceptor cells called rods and cones turn the light into meaningful information for the brain. As the light lowers, rods and cones enhance their ability to transform the light. These and other adaptive responses kick in once you’ve been sitting in the dark for a few hours, but return to normal in the light. However, reading or focusing on close objects in the dark can put strain on the eyes. In dim lighting, the level of contrast decreases between black words written on a white page, and to read you may have to pull the book closer to your eyes. As you do this, the ciliary muscle around the lens of your eye contracts, reshaping it so that light flooding in is redirected to a focal point at the back of the eye. As all this eyeball adjusting occurs, many people report headaches and even nausea, the reason being they become tense from muscles that are working harder than normal to focus images; what’s causing the headache is not so much the darkness as staring at something very close to your face. Most doctors say the discomfort is completely harmless, but a few say that young children may increase their chances of becoming nearsighted when they put too much strain on their eyes. They point to studies that have linked high incidences of myopia to cultures that encourage reading and formalized education among their youth. One such study says that the strain of reading, and especially of reading in the dark, could give undeveloped eyes a signal to grow in the wrong way; how eye shape develops is important because nearsightedness occurs when the eye grows overly elongated. Almost all infants are born farsighted because their eyes have not yet grown to the right shape–one in which light penetrates the eye and lands on the point of highest acuity in the back of the eye (the fovea). During the first decade of life, the eyes change slightly in shape and size, significantly impacting how the eye focuses. What scientists do not yet know for sure is which factors direct the eye during these crucial growing years. Most data show that genetics play a huge part, with the likelihood of being myopic increasing tremendously if your parents are as well. But some preliminary animal research suggests that there could be an environmental element at work as well. It’s possible that while the eye is growing it’s experimenting with how to focus on the world around it, trying on new shapes to find out the best way to turn light into image; think of it as ocular puberty. Doctors theorize that if you strain the eye during this time by forcing it to focus on near objects, you could upset this process of growth. Even if these findings are true, it is only relevant to the developing eye. Adults reading in the dark should be more concerned about why they didn’t pay their electricity bill than about potentially harming their eyes. But, in the remote chance that you are a child prodigy reading these lines from an unlit crib…well, then you might consider turning on a light. Source Link: Scienceline scienceline.org/2007/10/03/ask-peck-darkeyesmyopia/
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Post by Ms. Kathy on Oct 5, 2007 10:24:58 GMT -6
Information on LASIK Eye SurgerySource: LASIK Eye Surgery - What Is LASIK Eye Surgery Video - About.comLASIK surgery uses a laser to improve vision of people who are nearsighted. Learn more about LASIK surgery and how it can help vision. LASIK Eye Surgery - What Is LASIK Eye Surgery Video - About.comideo Link: video.about.com/vision/LASIK-Eye-Surgery.htm
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Post by Ms. Kathy on Nov 1, 2007 8:44:38 GMT -6
[ One of my daughter's eye doctors tried this on her. However by the time the glasses arrived she had a growth spurt which didn't help much. ~K] No-line bifocals slows myopia progression in some childrenNovember 1st, 2007 Source Link: google-sina.com/2007/11/01/no-line-bifocals-slows-myopia-progression-in-some-children/ Certain children who wear a special kind of no-line bifocal lenses show signs of slower progression of myopia than those who wear more conventional lenses according to a new study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS). The study found that among children with two myopic parents, myopia progression was slower in children wearing progressive-addition lenses (PALs) when compared to those wearing single-vision lenses (SVLs). Knowing parental myopia may be helpful when deciding which myopic children are likely to benefit from special lenses. The five-year study was conducted by researchers from New England College of Optometry; Pennsylvania College of Optometry; University of Alabama School of Optometry; University of Houston College of Optometry; and State University of New York Stony Brook, Department of Preventive Medicine. Participants in this study were 232 of the 469 children aged 11 to 16 recruited for the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET). Among the children included in this study, 87 (37.5 percent) had two myopic parents. “This study shows that parental refractive error should now be added to the constellation of factors which are related to the progression of juvenile onset myopia,” said researcher Dan Kurtz of the New England College of Optometry. www.iovs.org |
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Post by Ms. Kathy on Dec 7, 2007 13:53:16 GMT -6
Sunlight helps cut kids’ myopia risks by boosting dopamine levelsPosted December 5th, 2007 by Mohit JoshiSydney, Dec 5: Source Link: www.topnews.in/health/sunlight-helps-cut-kids-myopia-risks-boosting-dopamine-levels-279If your children cringe whenever they step out in the sun then its time to make them stand in the sun and tell them to keep their eyes wide open as according to findings of an Australian study, which states that this may stop kids from becoming short-sighted. Australian researchers have revealed that exposure to sunlight may boost kids’ dopamine levels, which reduces their chances of myopia overturning long-held view that education and close work are the key drivers of myopia. In fact they suggested that, it is the environmental factors that govern the ability to develop myopia. As myopia is reaching epidemic proportions in urban Asia, these findings will turn out to be a boon to public health officials in the region. Dr Ian Morgan, of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, said that there has been a dramatic increase in myopia rates in East Asia in the last 30 years. He claimed that 90pct of conscription-aged males in Singapore are now myopic compared to figures from the 1960s to the 70s when only 20-30pct of 17-year-old males had myopia. However in Australia, the rates of myopia increased from about 15pct to 20-25pct during the same period. Morgan said that it has been suggested there may be an East Asian genetic susceptibility to environmental risk factors associated with intensive education and urbanisation. But he said that this can easily be brushed off because those of South Asian, or Indian, ethnicity growing up in Singapore are equally myopic as the Chinese and Malay populations. "This phenomenon cannot plausibly be explained in terms of changes in gene pools," ABC Online quoted the Australian National University researcher, as saying. "A gene pool doesn't change that fast,” he added. However, Morgan and colleague Dr Kathy Rose, of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney, have found the time children spend outdoors is the decisive factor. In a comparison of children of Chinese origin living in Singapore and Sydney, matching the subjects for age and parental myopia, showed that the rate of myopia in Singaporean children is 10 times higher. But Morgan said that the Sydney-based children spend a considerably higher time in near-work activity, reading twice as many books per week. It was found that the major difference in their weekly activities was in time spent outdoors with Sydney-based children outside almost four times longer than their Singapore counterparts. "What children are doing in Australia at the moment seems to be right," he said. Morgan claimed that the exposure to sunlight encourages the release of dopamine which in turn reduces myopia rates. Dopamine is known to inhibit eye growth and myopia is a condition caused by excessive eye growth. The findings were presented to the Australasian Ophthalmic and Visual Sciences Meeting in Canberra this week. (ANI)
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