By 2050, an increase in myopia, or nearsightedness, may reach epidemic proportions, potentially blinding up to one billion people worldwide. After examining studies of trends surrounding myopia globally, researchers at the Brien Holden Vision Institute are encouraging us to act now to prevent widespread vision loss from becoming a reality.
The researchers have also found that half the world’s population, or an estimated five billion people, will likely be myopic by 2050, with one-fifth falling into the high myopic category, meaning they are at a greater risk of blindness. Because of this, the researchers strongly suggest we implement behavioral interventions and preventive optical treatments to stop this condition from growing. Right now, an estimated two billion people have been diagnosed with myopia.
I – Word Understanding
myopia – another term for “nearsightedness”
epidemic proportions – affecting a large part of a population / excessive
II – Have Your Say
1. Good eyesight plays an important role in life. Do you have any tips to maintain good eye health?
2. How can the following help protect vision for both children and adults?
– government
– health care providers
– schools
2. For nearsightedness, doctors usually recommend wearing corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses. As an alternative, surgery can be performed to treat it, laser treatment LASIK is the most common these days.
