Durban - Beware – the eyesight of South Africans is at risk from spending too much time indoors looking at digital devices.
This is particularly so in the case of children spending hours on school work and extra tuition, and then playing online games to relax.
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is becoming prevalent around the world, and Durban eye experts have encouraged parents to ensure their children spend as much time playing outdoors as they do studying.
The warning comes after research by King’s College London professors published in the Ophthalmology Journal showed that the increased time spent doing “near work”, such as studying, reading, or using a cellphone or electronic tablet, increased the rate of myopia. Myopia is the most common eye condition around the world.
Researchers said nearly half of the people in their late twenties who were in the study, were affected by myopia, owing to reasons such as being inside for longer, as well as an increase in the use of computers and tablets.
Local experts agree.
Durban ophthalmologist Dr Anthony Zaborowski, a board member of the Ophthalmological Society of SA, said more and more people were seeking medical attention for short-sightedness.
“We can only presume it is because life is ‘nearby’ meaning that we are looking largely at things close to us such as books, computer screens and cellphones. The stimulus of near-work is fuelling this,” said Zaborowski.
He urged parents to encourage their children to spend more time outdoors so that they looked at distant objects.
“A study in Australia compared the eyesight of children living in Korea with that of children of Korean descent who lived in Australia. The study showed the children in Korea had a 25 percent rate of myopia and those in Australia had three percent.”
He said that while the children shared the same genes, those in Australia spent more time outdoors or playing at the beach, whereas the children in Korea spent more time indoors in front of computers.
Professor Kovin Naidoo, the global programme director for the Brien Holden Vision Institute in Durban, said the short-sightedness recorded in people in their late 20s was a manifestation of what was happening in a child’s earlier life.
“We conducted studies in Durban in mid-2005 that showed there was a progression of myopia, especially in the age group 12 to 15.
“As our population increases and cellphones and other electronic devices are used more, there is a greater risk of developing myopia.”
Myopia could progress to more severe eye problems such as glaucoma (an increase in eye pressure) said Naidoo.
“There is no cure, but you can slow down the progression,” said Naidoo. “People can use advances in spectacles and contact lenses – they should ask a medical professional about options,” said Naidoo.
Sean Cook, of Hemingway and Cook Optometrists in Glenwood, said there did appear to be a relationship between the time a person spent on near-work, and eyesight.
“We urge people to take breaks from work on a computer every 30 to 40 minutes and look at objects a distance away,” said Cook.
Independent on Saturday