Myopia (near sightedness) is a condition in which close objects are visibly clear, while distanced objects are blurred. This is understood as a refractive disorder that occurs as the eyeball elongates (gets longer). Myopia can cause exponentially more serious  complications if the refractive error is  severe, -5.00D or worse.

People with myopia have good near vision, and poor distance vision.

Gary Rodney, founder of Smart Vision Optometry and Fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (FIAOMC), explains the different degrees of myopia and how it leads to great risk of age related blindness.

The causes of myopia traditionally include genetics and the working environment. Now we are seeing that there does not have to be any evidence of genetic tendencies and simply lifestyle can cause myopia to develop. Genetics simply makes the problem worse. The lifestyle factors include doing work focusing on close objects, like a computer screen, digital device, or book and/or less time outdoors in the daylight.

Rays of light that enter the eye, also influence the development of myopia. “Vision is made clear as light rays enter the eye through the cornea and lens, which bend the light to the retina at the back of the eye,” says Rodney. This gives a clear and sharp image. Therefore if a person is experiencing blurry vision they are experiencing a refractive error, as the light rays are not focused correctly at the back of the eye.

If not treated for prevention and not just compensation, myopia can progressively advance, causing other disorders that can result in blindness.

Low myopia

Low Myopia is the most common. Low to moderate myopia is usually measured less than -500D.

While there is no cure, vision treatment, management and control can be influenced using Smart Vision Optometry proprietary techniques with glasses, lenses or orthokeratology (Ortho-K). Ortho-K has been shown to produce a reduction in the rate of progress of myopia.

Studies have shown that children who spend long hours doing outside activities, are at a lower risk of myopia. Progressive nearsightedness/myopia can cause vision impairment, including cataracts, macular degeneration, retinal detachment and myopia maculopathy.

High myopia

High myopia can lead to blindness. High myopia can be at least -500D or worse.

High myopia, also called pathological myopia, where the abnormal elongation of the eyeball that occurs in pathological myopia stretches the tissue at the back of the eye and leads to the development of detachment, floaters and halo. The retina is more stretched and therefore much more prone to peripheral retinal tears.

Studies have shown that the higher the myopia, the bigger the risk a person has of developing glaucoma. “As myopia worsens, retinal nerve fibre layers and macular thickness charge, increases the risk of glaucoma,” says Rodney.

Common risks to blindness led by myopia include retinal detachment, cataracts and glaucoma. These disorders may lead to visual impairment and blindness.

Retinal detachment

A thinned retina can cause retinal breaks. “Retinal detachment occurs when the retina detaches from the back of the eye,” says Rodney, and “if this detachment is not repaired urgently, it can cause blindness.”

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is associated with the damage to the optic nerve caused by increased pressure in the eye chamber.

Glaucoma is found significantly in those with myopia. In some cases, the eye can stretch out of its shape resulting in a refractive error. “The cause of high myopia in patients should be examined,” says Rodney.

Cataracts

Cataracts is common among people with myopia. “This condition occurs when the eyes lens, located behind the pupil, has a cloudy appearance,” says Rodney.

Patients with high myopia can develop cataracts earlier than those with no refractive errors.

Smart Vision Optometry clinics are located in Sydney. Book a Smart Vision Comprehensive Vision Skills Assessment or Advanced Eye Health Test for any child or adult by calling the Mosman clinic (02) 9969 1600 or the Bondi clinic (02) 9365 5047, alternatively book an appointment online.

October brings the month of World Sight Day and World Teacher’s day, in commemoration of both annual events, this article aims to bring awareness to blindness and vision impairment in children.

Vision impairment or loss can affect people of all ages, but it can be detected at an early age. Reduced eyesight can have minor or long-lasting effects on all aspects of life including personal daily activities and participation in school and work.

Jacqueline Gattegno, a Smart Vision Optometrist at Eyes InDesign Bondi, provides insight in identifying signs of vision problems in children.

The role of educators in detecting early signs in learner

Millions of children around the world experience signs of significant visual impairment, many of which are preventable and treatable.

Educators spend a significant amount of time with learners, therefore, they “play an important role in identifying early signs of eye problems in children,” Jacquie says. This detection reduces the risk of blindness.

There is an increase in the rate of vision-related issues in children, such as diabetic retinopathy, untreated glaucoma, un-operated cataract and myopia. These are preventable causes of blindness that can easily be attended to.

Teaching methods to accommodate such issues

Much of information and education that we receive is through vision, therefore it is important to adopt this knowledge in teaching children who are visually impaired.

Educators can play a crucial role in assisting the comfortably of a child’s learning, regardless of a child’s diagnoses of vision impairment; acute or severe. An adjustment in teaching methods and techniques can help reduce the severity of vision impairment in children.

Much of the strain of the eyes is caused by reading and focusing, particularly in the classroom and on digital screens. However there are other causes to consider that are hereditary.

Here are a few examples teachers can assist with children who experience the following conditions and diagnosis:

Retinopathy of Pre-maturity (ROP)

Retinopathy refers to the disease of the retina that is caused by an abnormal growth of the blood vessel. ROP usually affects children who are born prematurely with a low body mass.

Adaptation in teaching methods can be made by discouraging physical activity as a compulsory requirement as it may result in retinal detachment.

Albinism

Albinism is a lack of pigmentation in skin, hair and eyes. Pigment is necessary for retinal development, therefore, albinism impacts vision.

In learning environments, a high contrast of colours may be beneficial for children with albinism. For example, bright colours against dark backgrounds.

Coloboma of the eye

This is a physical defect of the eyes in children that occurs from birth. To treat this in classrooms, it is important to reduce the glare in learning environments, which can be decreased with dark curtains.

How to identify signs of myopia

The more myopic the higher the risk of screening issues that cause blindness. “It is important to know the difference between high and mild myopia as the level of severity increases the chances of blindness,” Jacquie says.

Mild myopia does not immediately increase a person’s risk of developing serious eye problems but left untreated it can.

High myopia, on the other hand, happens when a child’s eyeball grows longer than it should. If left untreated, high myopia complications can lead to blindness, so regular comprehensive visual eye examinations are critical. These are not the common sight tests offered by regular optometrists.

High myopia may raise the risk of a child developing serious conditions such as cataracts, detached retinas and glaucoma.  

Educators can identify signs of myopia in classrooms in the child has:

1. Poor school grades

2. Short attention span

3. Holding objects close to the face

4. Squinting

This month brings awareness to vision impairment and blindness. The awareness of the role teachers play in a child’s sight to reduce preventable blindness is crucial.

Vision problems such as myopia can be treated with highly successful, non-invasive, smart vision eye health treatment programmes, yet some optometrists and ophthalmologists recommend invasive laser eye surgery as the only option or quick fix. “Smart Vision Optometrists have a holistic approach to eyecare and therefore invasive surgery, which is a permanent disfigurement, is not considered a viable option and would only be suggested in extreme cases as an absolute last resort,” Jacquie said.

“If a child has any of the above symptoms then a comprehensive vision skills assessment is recommended immediately,” Jacquie concludes.

Smart Vision Optometry clinics are located in Sydney. Book a Smart Vision Comprehensive Vision Skills Assessment or Advanced Eye Health Test for any child or adult by calling the Bondi clinic (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic (02) 9969 1600, alternatively book an appointment online.

The fact that myopia is linked to genetics is not disputed. However, genetics alone would not be enough to account for the rising incidence of myopia, and it’s now believed that environmental factors also play a role. Whatever the reasons for the rise of myopia, there have also been advances in its treatment. According to Australian behavioural optometrist Jacqueline Gattegno, reducing the progression of myopia is a real possibility – provided that intervention happens soon enough.

Myopia Control Treatments

Jacqueline says that contrary to popular belief, Myopia is a childhood problem. “It’s related to an increase in the axial length of the eyeball which results in poor focus on the retina. The progressive lengthening of the eyeball occurs during growth, with the eyes generally stabilising around the age of twenty. If myopia’s progression is to be slowed, treatment must occur during this time,” says Jacqueline. “Various non-surgical, drug-free methods have been explored, with the greatest successes coming from orthokeratology and the use of peripheral defocus lenses.”

Atropine drops appear in a lot of the research literature, but Jacqueline isn’t convinced that their use should be attempted or that they will result in the best possible outcomes. “There are side-effects,” says Jacqueline, “and the drops only seem to offer myopia control benefits during their first year of use. Following excellent results in early trials, it’s now widely believed that atropine drops don’t have sufficient long-term benefits to justify their use. Orthokeratology is drug-free and it works. There’s no reason to use a drug-based treatment.”  

Efficacy of Orthokeratology in Myopia Control

Studies support Jacqueline’s confidence in orthokeratology for myopia control, and the treatment itself is remarkably simple. Optometrists carefully map the eye and then create hard contact lenses that gently mould the cornea to allow for better light focus on the retina. The lenses aren’t worn by day. Instead, they’re worn during sleep, and the eye maintains the correct shape during waking hours.

Research shows that orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, can slow the progression of myopia in children by 36 to 56 percent. “It’s known that the higher the level of myopia in people of any age, the greater the risk of certain ocular pathologies that can lead to vision loss,” says Jacqueline, “so reducing myopia in childhood not only offers a good chance of better vision during adulthood, but may even prevent conditions like retinal detachment and age-related blindness’ later on.”

Myopia Control at Home

There’s at least one other therapy that can help children in slowing the progression of myopia – and parents can practice it for free at home. “Tell the kids to go and play outside,” says Jacqueline. “There have been some remarkable studies that have shown that just spending more time outdoors reduces the risk of rapid myopia progression. There was a measurable reduction in axial elongation and myopic shift during trials in Asia, and some experts even theorise that reduced time outdoors might be at least partially to blame for the myopia epidemic that’s currently being witnessed.”

It’s Time the World Started Talking About It

Jacqueline believes that the combination of orthokeratology and a healthy, active lifestyle can make a difference in combating the rise of myopia but is concerned that myopia control isn’t more widely talked-about. “Many parents have never heard of ortho-K or myopia control. They know about glasses and contact lenses, and they bring their children to get prescription eyewear. That provides an opportunity to tell them about treatment options, but it isn’t ideal.”

“Myopia control should be headline news. It’s exciting. The benefits are beyond price. It’s time the world started talking about it because we’re rapidly heading towards a situation in which half the world’s population is myopic with high myopes facing further risks to their vision,” concludes Jacqueline.

Smart Vision Optometry clinics are located in Sydney. Book a Smart Vision Comprehensive Vision Skills Assessment or Advanced Eye Health Test for any child or adult by calling the Bondi clinic (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic (02) 9969 1600, alternatively book an appointment online.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News, YDMA Group

Studies Show that a Higher Percentage of Myopic Children do Well at School

The results of a 1958 study are tantalising. US-based researchers reported that children with myopia are inclined to have a higher IQ. Czech, Danish, and Israeli researchers were among those to corroborate the finding. This may seem like an open-and-shut conclusion, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Related research showed that myopic children, regardless of IQ, tended to do better at school. With this piece of information to digest, it might seem that studying harder, better results, and myopia are all linked.

Long hours of study can certainly cause eye strain, this can lead to elongation of the eyeball which is myopia. Additionally, there’s a clear link between too much time spent indoors and myopia, indicating that the absence of natural light is also a problem for studious children.

However, researchers were alert to the question of whether higher IQs and myopia were related, and their investigations continued. Subsequent studies published in 2004 and 2006 by Professor Seang-Mei Saw and colleagues concluded that children with myopia really did tend to have higher IQs regardless of how much time they spent reading and studying.

Why Myopia and IQ are Linked

Given that research had shown the link between Myopia and higher IQ regardless of time spent hitting the books, the next question to address would be why children with myopia tended to have higher IQs. Unfortunately, the answer to that remains a matter for scientific speculation.

Professor Saw and her team of Singaporean researchers observed that there might be a link between the genes determining a predisposition to myopia and a higher IQ with the same sets of genes influencing both traits at once. They added the thought that genes affecting eye size and growth, which are linked to myopia, may also influence neocortical size, a factor which may be associated with IQ.

Many Kids with Myopia Can Live Without Glasses

“There seems to be a grain of scientific truth behind the myth that smart kids wear glasses,” says Jacqueline, “but advances in myopia control may change that. Already, children who are developing myopia are going without glasses or contact lenses. They are seeing perfectly thanks to orthokeratology, a non-surgical treatment that uses night-time wear of hard contact lenses.”“They reshape the cornea, not only eliminating the need for day-to-day correction for myopia, but also its progression. This type of treatment is already widely used. It is to be hoped that in time, there will be further advances in this field, and that children all over the world will have access to myopia control treatments. As a result, children with a predisposition towards myopia may not have to live with short-sightedness and may not need corrective eyewear at all. That will certainly be a happy ending.”

Smart Vision Optometry clinics are located in Sydney. Book a Smart Vision Comprehensive Vision Skills Assessment or Advanced Eye Health Test for any child or adult by calling the Bondi clinic (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic (02) 9969 1600, alternatively book an appointment online.

Written and syndicated by: YDMA News, YDMA Group

“AFL star Danyle Pearce is a good example,” says Jacqueline. “His poor ball handling skills were holding him back – until a visit to an optometrist uncovered the fact that his vision was to blame for the faults in his gameplay. All it took for this player to reach the top of his game was a good pair of contact lenses.”

Olympic swimmer and gold medallist Mark Horton is yet another short-sighted athlete. In his case, prescription swimming goggles make it possible for him to see clearly in the water. Once out of the pool, he dons his regular glasses again. Cricketer Chris Rodgers is yet another famous sporting myope, as is New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori, and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is also among the world’s most famous contact-lens-wearing athletes.

Glasses and Sports Don’t Always go Well Together

There’s no denying that wearing glasses and playing sports don’t always go well together, and that’s why athletes are rarely seen wearing glasses. “It limits their peripheral vision, and in contact sports, broken glasses could lead to a bad accident,” says Jacqueline. “But just because people don’t see athletes wearing spectacles doesn’t mean that there aren’t short-sighted athletes.”

“Some of them, like the golfer Tiger Woods, opt for surgery to correct myopia, but that’s a big step. Contact lenses are safe for use in most sports, and they aren’t the only non-surgical option. Ortho-K lenses that reshape the cornea while people sleep are suitable for many patients, and if they use them, they don’t need to wear glasses or contact lenses during the day to enjoy perfect vision.”

In some sports, eyewear isn’t particularly limiting. For example, runners and cyclists often choose prescription sports eyewear. There are snugly-fitting frames that don’t easily slip or jostle out of place, and Jaqueline adds that the addition of UV protection will protect their eyes against sun damage.

Sports-Specific Solutions

For those who are short-sighted and eager to participate in sports, there are many options available, and the one that suits them best will depend on the type of sport they want to play. The best place to begin is with a visit to an optometrist with experience in sports vision assessment and training. 

“Training the eyes and improving visual skills can ultimately give people an advantage over athletes with perfect eyesight but less well-developed visual skills,” says Jacqueline. “At the same time, professional and amateur athletes can investigate their eyewear options based on sports-specific recommendations. If there are fewer people with myopia playing sport than are found in the general population, it’s only because many of them still believe that being short-sighted means they can’t play sport. That simply isn’t true.”

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Jacqueline Gattegno – Changes in Eyesight Due to a Rise in Stress Levels

For more information on eye health, visual skills and therapy, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Myopia Then and Now

The rising prevalence of myopia is all that’s needed to show that it’s not just a refractive error that glasses will fix. It’s a lifestyle problem with genetic roots, and it’s linked to much more serious eye conditions including glaucoma, retinal detachment, and an increased risk of blindness. 

With myopia on the rise in the West, digital screens are bearing the brunt of the blame, but, says Gary, the rise in myopia was already noticed in Asia long before screens became part of daily life. “Broadly speaking, near work and lack of time spent outdoors in natural daylight seem to be the lifestyle changes that are affecting children’s eyesight,” says Gary. “Nowadays, near work quite often means screen time. However, long hours of study without a computer may have a similar effect.” 

But there’s more to myopia than too much study and not enough outdoor play. “Genetics still play a role,” says Gary. “However, the expression of genes is determined, to some extent, by environmental factors, so it would be unwise to overlook their influence. The adverse effects of near work and the absence of the beneficial effects of time spent outdoors will have an impact, and a genetic predisposition to myopia would add to the potentially negative effects of both.”

How Eye Doctors Slow Myopia Progression

Progressive myopia first manifests itself in children. The younger they are when it begins, the faster it progresses. Later on, usually at around the age of 20 to 25, the progression of myopia slows down. However we now know there are certain categories of the population that continue to get worse even as adults. The eyeball continues to elongate and stretch and damage the retina. The thinking behind myopia control is logical. “If the progression of short sightedness can be slowed or stopped in children, the adult will have better vision,” says Gary. “As a result, children are the primary focus of myopia control interventions.” 

Various treatments have been tested in clinical trials, and needless to say, there were some failures. “At one time, it was believed that providing corrective eyewear that helped myopic kids to see properly was part of the problem. Thankfully, a trial in which children were prescribed eyewear that wasn’t strong enough proved that forcing kids to struggle with their eyesight wasn’t going to solve any problems. We now know that the worse thing you can do to contribute to someone’s eyes getting worse is to under correct the prescription or to prescribe single focus distance glasses or contact lenses.”

At his practice in Mosman, Gary Rodney uses orthokeratology as a way to combat myopia in children. “Kids wear special contact lenses that reshape the cornea at night while they sleep. In most instances, myopia control is that easy,” says Gary, who also promotes the idea of more outdoor playtime. “There are various theories as to why playing outdoors in natural light slows the development and progression of myopia. Whatever the precise mechanism, it’s known that outdoor play makes a significant difference and is therefore to be recommended.”

“The ultimate goal for any optometrist would be the prevention of blindness. He or she will probably never know how many of today’s children are saved from blindness through myopia control interventions, but it’s a calling that can change lives and therefore one that Eyes in Design is passionate about.”

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on myopia and Smart Vision’s approach to myopia management, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

1. Never Miss an Eye Appointment

During routine eye tests, optometrists do basic screening for eye problems that are serious enough to cause blindness if left untreated. Early detection is key to the successful treatment of conditions like glaucoma, so eye examinations are much more than a simple matter of ensuring that glasses prescriptions are still correct. It’s a health check that could save people’s eyesight. 

2. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is the time when the body rests, recuperates, and recovers from the rigors of the day. If they aren’t getting enough sleep, people may notice that their eyes are dry and feel gritty and sore. That’s because tear fluid circulates best when the eyes are closed, lubricating the eyeball. Dry eyes can lead to more serious problems, and they’re not the only eye problem that might be experienced among people who don’t get enough sleep. 

New research indicates that there’s a link between disruption of the circadian rhythm and myopia. Short-sighted people tend to sleep badly and have disturbed sleeping patterns, leading researchers to suggest a link between blue light from screens, disturbed sleep, and myopia. 

So lay off the coffee at night, avoid the TV, smartphone, or computer before bedtime since the light can convince the body that it’s still daytime, get comfy, and get the seven hours of sleep adults need for both eye health and overall health. 

3. Take a Break from the Screen

Looking at screens for long hours can cause eye strain. After all, the muscles that the eyes use to focus are locked into a single position for a long time. People also don’t blink as often as they should when looking at screens, so they might start experiencing dry eyes. 

To overcome this, they might need to remind themselves to blink, but they should also rest their eyes briefly every 5 minutes or so. Simply look at something far away for 2-3 seconds before returning them to the screen. Every 30 minutes for an adult (15 minutes for a child) have a complete 10 minute break from looking at the screen. It’s also worth remembering that the viewing distance for screens may not be ideal for ordinary glasses, so consider getting a special pair that’s made for computer work. 

4. Protect Against UV Light and Workplace Hazards

Those who spend a lot of time outdoors will probably remember the importance of sunblock. But don’t forget to protect the eyes too. Excessive exposure to UV light can cause long-term damage, so wear a good pair of sunglasses. 

When working on tasks that require eye protection, whether at home or at work, be sure to use the correct protective eyewear. Eye injuries are more common than they should be, and they often occur because people have dispensed with eye protection when working with tools. 

5. Eat Well and Drink Plenty of Water

Eating a healthy, balanced diet and drinking enough fluids contributes towards better all-round health. It’s a commonsense tip that everybody knows but not everybody practices. “A great many people are suboptimally hydrated,” says Gary. “An American study found that 43 percent of adults aren’t drinking enough fluids and that places strain on every system in the body as well as the eyes.”

Easy, but Requires Awareness and a Little Commitment

Although Gary’s advice may seem sensible, solid, and relatively obvious, he says that many people simply aren’t aware of the things they can do to take care of their eye health. “Good health requires partnership with healthcare professionals, and optometrists should be on every person’s team along with their GPs and dentists.”

In closing, Gary advises people to act quickly if they experience vision changes or vision-related symptoms. Coupled with the components of a healthy lifestyle, this ensures the maintenance of healthy eyes and could add up to stronger vision and improved eye health in the longer-term.

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on vision and the importance of eye health, or to book an appointment for a thorough eye or vision check-up, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

“Eye strain from staring at screens is incredibly common,” says Australian behavioural optometrist Jacqueline Gattegno. “It’s believed that most people these days have some degree of digital eye strain, but it will come as a relief to know that there’s no proven link between eye strain and the progression of myopia.”

“At the same time, there’s also no real proof that computers can’t contribute to longer-term vision problems. The jury is out. However, if you’re already experiencing vision issues and do visually intensive work, eye strain is an inevitable result, and if you have perfect vision and make your eyes work too hard, you’re also at risk of experiencing eye strain.”

Symptoms of Eye Strain

Most people will identify with the feeling of having “tired eyes.” They may be dry, and they can be sore and uncomfortable. The dryness of strained eyes can cause a burning sensation, and one may experience sensitivity to bright lights, trouble with focusing and refocusing the eyes, headaches, or even double vision. 

“It’s easy to say that digital eye strain among students and professionals isn’t serious,” says Jaqueline, “but symptoms this uncomfortable must be taken seriously because they have such a big impact on quality of life and the ability to fulfil one’s overall potential. Nobody is going to be at their best when they’re battling with discomfort.”

How to Prevent and Treat Eye Strain

“Your optometrist can help,” says Jacqueline. “Even if your glasses are fine for all the other things you do, they might not be suited for seeing at screen-distance. Computer glasses can also be tinted to reduce the effects of blue light. If your eyes are dry, an optometrist can determine whether it’s just a matter of not blinking enough or whether your tear glands aren’t working quite as they should. If the glands are blocked, there are non-invasive treatments, and if it’s just dryness from not blinking enough, there are drops that can help with dry eyes.”

“Since the overtired muscles that focus your eyes have a big role to play in eye strain, giving them some stretching exercises can work wonders. Behavioural optometrists are able to teach you eye exercises that will help to relax and strengthen the muscles in your eyes.”

Taking frequent breaks requires almost as much discipline as working or studying for hours, but despite sounding counter-productive, it’s quite the opposite. “Give your eyes and your brain a break every twenty minutes or so,” says Jacqueline. “Chances are, you’ll get even more done. Just twenty seconds looking at a distant object every twenty minutes can make a huge difference.”

You should also blink consciously. “When people work in front of screens, their eyes are fixed on the task, and they blink less often than they should. That dries out the eyes and accounts for the burning, gritty sensation that people with eye strain experience.”

According to Jacqueline, a person’s computer, their posture, and the layout of their work area may also contribute to their eye strain. 

“Always work with your screen at arms’ length from your face and positioned so that you look slightly downwards at it when seated in an upright posture. Making text larger may help, as can increasing the refresh rate of your screen to reduce flickering. You can also reduce glare by using a matte filter for your screen. Ensure that your workspace is well-lit and that your screen is not brighter than the light in the room. If dry air is contributing to the problem, a humidifier may be of help. Finally, make sure you’re getting enough sleep. It rests the eyes and re-energises the mind.”

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on eye strain and how it can be treated and prevented, or to make an appointment for a regular eye check, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Like a growing number of optometrists, she voices concern that the shortsightedness label constantly attached to information regarding the refractive error is possibly sugarcoating the very serious threat myopia holds in terms of its impact on people’s eyes and lives, and that this might lead to many children going through school and life either without knowing they are myopic, or being deprived access to ways to manage or control its progression.

Myopia Does More Damage Than Causing a Blur

Gattegno says that shortsightedness is commonly interpreted as just affecting distance vision to the extent that anything not close-by is seen as a blur, and that it requires no more treatment or control than a pair of single vision glasses that might help remove the blur in their distance vision. It is critical to understand that in progressive myopia, the eyeball actually elongates exponentially. This increases the risk of future eye health conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachments and, age-related blindness.

She says this treatment was still considered adequate before the number of myopics started an upward curve a few decades ago, and rose still further this century. This upward curve led eye doctors and researchers to paying closer attention to the incurable and mysterious eye problem and the realisation that myopia involved a lot more than blurry distance vision. With it being identified as being linked to serious vision problems, the focus and variety of new ways to manage it have started to grow. Meanwhile the numbers on the curve have kept soaring at a rate which suggests every second person globally could be myopic by 2050 if it is not controlled.

The Myopia Threat

Depending on what level of myopia a child has, children can be looking at a future which is more than just blurred, Gattegno says. If it progresses into high myopia (and even if it stays at mild or moderate levels), it can affect their lives considerably by changing the way they see the world around them and how to react to it, and it may even take away their sight completely as they get older.

She says that in the short term, myopia can lead to problems with playing sport, learning, and behaviour at school, as well as impacting to a certain extent on other daily activities. It may also affect their self-image and feelings about their place in the world. But however serious these effects are, bigger threats can await them if the progression of myopia is not controlled. In later years they may be faced with the most destructive eye impairments, cataracts, glaucoma, non-age-related macular degeneration, and retinal detachment. 

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on eye health, visual skills and therapy, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

She says those four senses perform very important roles in the brain’s processing of sensory data into vision that’s accurate, relevant, meaningful, and usable so that people can understand what they see and react accordingly to it, as well as function properly in their surroundings. Without them, the visual image could be compromised, causing the viewer to feel estranged and confused. 

Working as a Team

All five senses are in a team, and intertwined when it comes to how they operate. This makes it not only possible for them and the brain to keep in contact and work together in order to ensure the best processing of sight’s data. Gattegno says it also means that one of them can step in and cover when another, including sight, loses its ability to function properly. With training, the sense of hearing has been shown to assist the blind, and for those who are deaf as well as blind, touch can play an important role in functioning. It’s also possible that if the sense of taste fails for some reason, sight and smell might cause the food to “taste” the same.

Loading the Reference Bank

Their primary role is to help load the various “memory libraries” of specific information gathered by the brain for reference when processing the electrochemical data received from the eyes about what is seen. Their input adds a different variety and nature of information to the data received by the eyes, which is made up purely of colour, light and shape, and affect how the end picture is perceived, interpreted and understood.

How the Senses Work

All five senses collect information in reaction to different specific stimuli and the sensations or vibrations they create. For the eyes (sight) and ears (audition) stimuli are in the form of light waves and sound waves respectively. Taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction), which are closely intertwined, are known as the chemical senses because they respond to chemical stimuli rather than light or sound waves; and textures provide the stimuli to the tactile sense of touch or somatosensation, Gattegno says. 

Touch’s information is converted in mechanoreceptors on the skin before being sent to the brain; sight by the retina from light rays falling on it; hearing from drum-like vibration in the inner ear; smells in the nasal area; and taste in the taste buds on the tongue.

She says that once the data and information is collected, all five senses send their own signals to the brain for processing using sensory neurons and individual sense-specific receptors which accept their messages, and them only, for conversion into electrical signals. 

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Jacqueline Gattegno – Changes in Eyesight Due to a Rise in Stress Levels

For more information on eye health and vision, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, is designed to guide the eyeball into its optimal shape for focus, potentially reducing myopia or astigmatism. There’s even conclusive evidence that Orthokeratology can slow the progression of myopia in children, a finding that Gary Rodney finds particularly satisfying. 

Strange as the idea of wearing contact lenses by night may sound, Ortho-K has been around for a while, and it has been stringently tested. The notoriously careful FDA in the United States found that 65 percent of patients selected for the treatment achieved 20/20 vision, with over 90 percent achieving a rating of 20/40 or better. 20/40 is considered as being “slightly” nearsighted – a person who may or may not decide to wear glasses. 

The Process

It all begins with an eye examination by an optometrist who has studied the field of orthokeratology – better still if they have been accredited to be a Fellow of Orthokeratology. If an initial examination indicates that Ortho-K can help, he or she will map the cornea’s surface using a corneal topographer. It’s contact-free, much like any other eye test, and the information it gathers will be used to make customised contact lenses.

“Usually, your lenses will flatten and mould the cornea somewhat,” says Gary. “The lenses are hard, but not uncomfortable, especially once you’ve grown accustomed to wearing them.” In the morning, after you remove your contact lenses, the cornea remains flattened for the day, allowing for clearer focus without glasses. “It is just like when you remove a finger ring that has been worn for a while there is an indentation that stays on the finger for the next day. That’s orthok but ion microns of shape change. In most instances, it takes about two weeks to achieve the full shaping process for which each set of lenses is designed,” says Gary. In a complex scenario, the person will go through three sets of lenses since shaping the cornea is a gradual process.

Having reached the desired shape, the cornea can’t be left to itself. It’s best for most people to keep wearing retainer lenses every night, or at least most nights, in order to enjoy being able to see without glasses by day. 

Sleeping with Contact Lenses Can Have Benefits

Gary Rodney says that kids and people with active lifestyles often benefit form Ortho-K. “For example, you shouldn’t surf with contacts, and unless you’re going to get prescription surfing goggles, you can’t do it with glasses either,” says Gary. “Kids, on the other hand, like rough and tumble, and glasses or contacts are less practical by day.”

And, of course, some people don’t want to wear glasses, and either don’t want to, or can’t, wear contacts by day. From a practical perspective, using Ortho-K lenses has a similar effect to glasses or contact lenses. They correct vision but don’t have a permanent effect if one stops wearing them. However, it is used at night, and there are a lot of personal and practical reasons why people choose this option instead of opting for glasses, regular contacts, or surgery to correct their vision.

Most tantalising of all is the possibility that Orthokeratology could slow the progression of myopia, especially in children. “There’s a rise in myopia,” says Gary, “and Eyes in Design is particularly interested in myopia control, particularly in children. Helping them to see better for longer would be the ultimate goal Eyes in Design would like to achieve.”

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on Orthokeratology and Smart Vision’s approach to myopia management, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

He welcomes both the annual international Myopia Awareness Week in May, and the World Council of Optometry (WCO) Board of Directors decision to approve a resolution which advises optometrists to incorporate a standard of care for myopia management in their practices. This includes three approaches aimed at advising parents and patients on risk factors in order to delay the onset of myopia; regular eye tests which, when possible, include measuring the myopia refractive error and axial length; as well as a management programme based on correcting and controlling myopia with an eye to patients’ future eye health and quality of life.

Getting Myopia and its Management Under Control

Rodney says he is hopeful that these and other similar programmes, together with a new generation of myopia treatments might stop the existing lack of consensus as to ways to treat and manage this so-far incurable vision problem, which has been increasing its prevalence at epidemic level year after year, and impacted on more and more people’s sight and lives.

“A considerable increase in awareness and consensus on treatment and management of this vision error could show some light at the end of its blurry tunnel. It’s just sad that reaching this point has taken almost as many years as it’s taken for myopia to increase from affecting a small and manageable number of children to a point at which it’s projected to affect every second person by 2050. And even sadder, is that we have still not found a cure for myopia,” Rodney says. 

He said a recent global survey revealed that 82% of eye care professions expressed concern that their young patients would face the impact of serious eye health and myopia issues as they got older. But what was troubling to him, was that more than half of them laid the problem at the door of parents’ lack of awareness. Yet, according to another survey in Australia, many of them were themselves not taking advantage of the new methods of myopia treatment and control. 

According to Rodney, more than half of the respondents said they were still using single vision distance glasses to treat child myopia, and providing new and stronger glasses each year as the myopia continued to progress, despite their being aware of newer approaches and treatments that were proving to be more successful. 

And, at the same time, more and more eye specialists and scientists were agreeing that single vision glasses, the accepted method for treating myopia for many decades, do little more than clearing distance sight with a series of increasingly strong lenses, and may actually increase the progression of the vision error.

Why Myopia Management is So Important

He says that nearsightedness develops when either the cornea or the eye’s lens have an abnormal shape, or the eyeball is too long. This can cause the focus of messages carried into the eyes to be in front of the retina rather than on it, resulting in blurred distance vision. But many people are unaware that myopia is about far more than this. 

Rodney says It has been linked to the world’s largest causes of vision loss, cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal detachment, and according to its level of severeness, puts people with myopia at greater risk of getting them. With moderate myopia the risks of glaucoma double, cataract triples, retinal detachments are nine times greater, and macular degeneration ten times more likely. If myopia is allowed to progress to the high myopia level, the risks rise to three times higher for glaucoma, five times for cataract, and the chances of a detached retina increase by 21 times, while the risk of macular degeneration rises to 40 times more. 

Moves Away from Standard Glasses for Myopics

While myopia treatments have mostly moved towards the use of specially-designed contact lenses of various types, including both multi-focus and single distance lenses, when it comes to Orthokeratology the contact lens is part of an overnight treatment programme. This contact lens is gas-permeable and temporarily reshapes the cornea, and if properly used on a nightly basis, has been shown to enable myopes to not have to wear glasses during the day.

Two new ideas have entered the myopia treatment sector recently, one of which is a is a single-day contact lens clinically proven to slow myopia progression when used early enough in the progression. The other, Rodney says, returns to the idea of ordinary single-vision glasses. However, this new pair of spectacles is not ordinary, instead using spectacle lenses which have either slightly or highly aspherical lenslets. 

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on myopia and Smart Vision’s approach to myopia management, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

“400 years down the line, and facing the annual international Myopia Awareness Week in May, we are dealing with an epidemic predicted to affect at least every second person globally by 2050. And while various ways to manage and control its progression have been developed, we are still battling to fully understand this mysterious refraction error,” Rodney says.

Myopia’s Impact on Vision and Life

Myopia, which doesn’t only affect distance vision, but is also linked to serious threats to eyesight like cataracts, non-age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachment, all of which can end in blindness or seriously affected vision if not treated.

At the same time, and even at its lower levels, myopia can also impact on people’s lives by affecting their attitude and reaction to the world they see around them, which they know is not the same as the one seen by others who see it clearly and without a blur. This understanding of their “difference” can affect their self-image as well as how they function and perform emotionally, in learning and during social interaction, Rodney says. 

What Causes Myopia

Discussions and studies are still underway as to whether the refractive error which causes the eyes to only focus clearly on close objects is the result of genetics, an argument based on the three time increase in risk of children with one myopic parent, and six times more likely where both have the vision problem, or the result of the urban lifestyles adopted by those parental myopes and other city dwellers. And there’s an increasing movement towards the idea that it might be a bit of both.

What is known, Rodney says, is that the refractive error is definitely caused by changed shape and or length of the eyeball which leads to the eye focusing short of the retina and affecting the processing connection between eye and brain.

Myopia Progression

“This vision problem starts on young eyes which are still developing, becomes stronger as they go through their school years unless carefully controlled, and depending on its level of seriousness, normally slows this rapid progression to near stability during the 20s.”

However, he says that the ‘stability” is not a given. Not all children experience myopia in the same way. Factors such as the age of onset; degree and speed of change in the shape of the eye; and the speed and intensity of the myopic progression, can result in the more common mild myopia reaching its high, degenerative or pathological levels. And if growth does slow in the 20s, myopia can resurface in older myopes, bringing with it more serious eye conditions, some of which can lead to vision loss.

The Importance of Awareness

Rodney says these varied patterns and outlooks, and the refractive error’s increasing impact with age, underline the importance of global efforts by eye health organisations to increase awareness of this mysterious eye problem with an annual day or week during May every year. And in 2021, these awareness efforts, initially introduced in response to the epidemic rate at which myopia is racing through populations in most developed countries, is even more vital. 

Recent studies carried out on young children under Covid-19 lockdowns during 2020 have revealed results which suggest that the 2050 number could be reached a lot sooner. The studies also showed faster and higher progression levels, and a big rise in onset among 6-year-olds, an age-group previously seen as being unlikely to fall prey to the refractive error.

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on myopia and Smart Vision’s approach to myopia management, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Rodney says the quality of the information provided by senses like the eyes is vital to the creation of an understandable overall picture of what is seen and experienced. It can help the person viewing it to perceive it, react to it, and understand it in a way that the information it supplies enables them to function and fit into their surroundings. 

However, this data can be easily compromised if the information sent to the brain for processing, is distorted in any way, or the processing systems are not functioning correctly. 

A Ray of Hope for Myopics

Rodney said the positive results of a study which showed that perceptual learning used in neural processing could make up for at least some of the problems caused by optical defects like myopia, and is a welcome addition to the toolbox of treatments currently being used to manage this fast-spreading refraction error. These include specially-designed single, and multi-focal contact lenses, as well as the Orthokeratology overnight treatment which uses gas permeable contacts.

When the References are Faulty

He said vision processing in the visual cortex uses memories and information accumulated from reactions to various stimuli like light, colour, construction and location as reference, and this is where perceptual learning has stepped in. Where these references have been distorted by poor vision or a glitch in the way the brain makes use of them, studies are suggesting that perceptual learning can change how people see using vision task performance training. 

However, most studies like the myopia one are still focusing only on specific aspects of the problem. In this case the study reported a significant amount of improvement in both contrast sensitivity and visual acuity in adults with myopia who had perceptual learning. 

Rodney, while welcoming these results, like many other eye doctors and researchers, is hoping that future studies will take a wider approach to the problem, and bring about even more positive results with regard to improving myopic vision and reducing its impact on their perception of the world around them. 

How Myopia Impacts on Vision

“Distortion of data and how it’s processed is one of the worst consequences of myopia for the billions who have this progressive refractory error. It’s the difference between good perceptual vision (or insight) and blurred plain sight. The compromised data collected any more than a few feet away won’t only be visibly blurred, but will not be pure and accurate enough for the brain to be able to create a clear picture of it ,” Rodney says. 

“And myopia also impacts on how the data is processed into signals that are sent to the brain for further processing into a final thought image. This happens because myopia causes the light rays which carry the initial data to land short of the retina instead of on it, so impacting on how this receptor and processor of the data functions.”

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on myopia prevention and management, perceptual vision and vision therapy and its importance, or to book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

He says glaucoma comes in various forms and progresses very slowly, sometimes taking as much as 20 years to complete its damage to the optic nerve, a vital part of the communication system between the eyes and the brain, and the one that allows people to see. 

But its slowness doesn’t make it any less of a threat, he says. Instead, with about 15 percent of those who have it eventually losing their vision even if they have had treatment, glaucoma is now considered to hold second place to cataract as the world’s top cause of blindness. 

Glaucoma Seriousness Leads to Many Studies

Glaucoma’s second place position as a potential killer of sight has given rise to a large number of studies in the past few years in an attempt to discover more information about this eye condition, its causes, and how its development and progression is affected by its relationship with other eye problems and people’s behaviour patterns, including sleep. 

“Glaucoma is the result of built-up pressure in the eyes caused by an imbalance between the production and drainage of aqueous fluid. And although the fluid production levels tend to drop during sleep, the imbalance isn’t necessarily rectified. Instead it can be exacerbated, and the intraocular pressure increased, if the body is in a position that blocks the drainage system still further, and it stays in that position for too long,” Rodney says.

How Sleeping Patterns Affect Glaucoma

Rodney says a US study which assessed glaucoma and its progression in close to 7,000 people, all in their 40s, has produced broad insight into the glaucoma/sleep relationship and how it affects the progression of the eye condition. 

The study indicates that what makes the relationship between sleep and glaucoma complicated is that in order to control the progression of glaucoma, the sleep pattern also needs to be controlled. This requires careful planning based on how quickly (or slowly) a person falls asleep; what position that person sleeps in; and exactly how long the sleep lasts. 

A Matter of Time

Sleep latency, or the time people take to fall asleep, holds the biggest threat for those who fall asleep almost instantly and those who take too long to do so. Those who fall asleep in 9 minutes or less after climbing into bed, as well as those on the other extreme, who take longer than half an hour to do so, face double the risk of getting glaucoma when compared with people who fall asleep within the middle zone (between 10 and 29 minutes).

However, Rodney says that the threats don’t stop there. The amount of time they stay closed also seems to affect the level of damage caused by glaucoma.

According to the study’s results those who have glaucoma, and once asleep, stay that way for 10 or more hours a night, treble their chances of optic nerve damage as a result of glaucoma. They also have three times the likelihood of missing areas of vision, in comparison with those who sleep for 7 hours. 

Again, the same applies to those who only manage to sleep for three hours every night. They also face the same three-times odds on missing vision in comparison with the 7 hour a night sleepers.

 HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on eye health, visual skills and therapy, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

The Debate Goes On

He says there has been a great deal of debate about the effects of screens on children’s eyes, and the Computer Vision Syndrome caused when screens are watched for too long, which is said to cause poor eye-teaming, eye fatigue, blurred vision and dry eyes. 

However, Rodney says other factors are now entering the discussion as eye experts become increasingly aware of the growing impact on vision caused by technology and lifestyle, in some cases as a result of studies-based experience during Covid-19 lockdowns. 

Far Beyond Fatigue

These have led to suggestions that long spells of screen watching at one focal distance could adversely impact on children’s distance and peripheral vision (side vision) as well as their depth and perceptual vision skills, and affect their understanding of what they are seeing; and it might even contribute to the epidemic levels of myopia (shortsightedness) currently affecting one in three people globally.

He says this is supported by researchers studying myopia (nearsightedness), and its growth to epidemic levels along with the speedy growth of technology, close work, and urbanisation, which has resulted in largely indoor and screen-dominated lifestyles. 

“Taking children’s natural tendency to mimic their parents’ habits into consideration, many of these researchers are increasingly focusing on this type of lifestyle when looking for a cause for myopia, instead of focusing entirely on parental genes. And their move in this direction has, in turn, been supported by studies showing a significant growth in myopia during lockdowns, particularly in young children,” Rodney says.

Cutting the Connection with Learning

According to Rodney, while technology, and specially screens, provide quick access to knowledge, and even faster answers, there is no real connection created between the viewer and the information or two-dimensional image on the screen. Nor is there a tangible one with the computer that delivers it. And as quickly as it is delivered, it can be deleted from the screen, and even from the viewer’s memory. 

This lack of connection or engagement can impact considerably on children’s perceptual vision, the skill that enables them to understand what they are seeing on the screen, and its relevance in their lives. It can also lead to a loss of curiosity about knowledge, and shorter attention spans when it comes to learning. 

“Studies have shown that children learn best when engaged on a person- to-person basis, whether that’s with a parent or a teacher. Perhaps it’s a throwback to a time long ago, when most children learned from their parents about how to function, behave, and survive in the real world, and learning was, more often than not, the result of demonstration, participation, observation, and practicality,” Rodney says.

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on myopia treatment and management, as well as to learn about vision therapy, or to book an appointment for a visual perception test online, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

According to Rodney, the homeschooling approach to learning, with its flexibility in regard to the curriculum and free choice in terms of how, where and at what rate it’s supplied, provides an ideal opportunity, often not possible in public schools, to include some important extras in the home curriculum which will both protect children’s visual perception  and, at the same time, allow parents to keep their own eyes open to any signs of vision problems, and take action if they do so.  However, not taking advantage of this opportunity could have the opposite result. 

Learning by Seeing, Doing and Experiencing

Recommended steps include controlling screen time spent on both learning and entertainment; ensuring that regular physical exercise is part of the homeschool day; providing opportunities for children to focus on real objects at various distances; and taking frequent breaks outdoors engaging with the natural world under natural light. 

Specially when it comes to young children, Rodney recommends that learning tools such as puzzles, building blocks, and other educational toys should be used. Demonstrations, participation, and discussions on learning subjects should be included, to make learning fun, and real, and so assist in the development of children’s visual perception skills, which are vital for making what’s seen or read meaningful and usable in their lives.

Clues Provided by Lockdowns

“The lockdowns, in addition to providing parents with a trial run on homeschooling, also supplied researchers with data regarding the side-effects of indoor lifestyles and schooling on children’s sight and vision health, and on their attitudes, behaviour and performance when learning, as well as how much they participated and connected with the process,” Rodney says.

“Results were both positive and negative. On the one hand, academic outcomes seemed better than those produced in the classroom. However, the researchers also saw a significant decline in homeschoolers’ levels of applied thinking, engagement, application, and interest in the process, so lessening their understanding regarding what they saw on screens.” 

He says studies also showed a considerable rise in the number of very young children with myopia (shortsightedness), a refractive error which affects children’s ability to see anything that isn’t very close to them. And some researchers linked this directly to screen time during which the eyes maintain the same short focal length for long periods and viewers tend to forget to blink.

How the Visual Process Works

Sight is considered the most important of our senses as it collects about 80% of the information people need to respond to threats, understand the world around them, how to function in it, and where they fit into it. However, this information is initially received in an unusable “raw” state in the form of data provided by light rays which land in the eyes.   

“It’s the very complex visual system lead by the brain that’s responsible for processing this data from electrochemical signals into meaningful information that can be understood and used by those who ‘saw’ it,” Rodney says. 

To achieve this the brain relies mostly on built-up memories of shapes and sizes, construction, textures, colours and locations, to transform this data into thought processes which put it into perspective by setting it in context and giving it a meaning the viewer can understand, respond to, and apply. 

Information Mustn’t be Compromised

If the eyes, the original data, the processing system, or the processed information provided by the brain in the form of a thought image, is compromised in any way, including by how, when, and where it’s delivered and experienced, this can impact on sight, vision, behaviour, and physical and social activity. 

Rodney says where problems could arise is if homeschoolers are allowed to spend too much time studying on computers or spend most of their time indoors, as both have been shown to impact on vision health and visual perception. 

He says the jury is still out as to how much the single and short focal distance involved in screen viewing affects the data received by the eyes and brain. But concerns exist that because the screen information is not real, remains static (even if it’s supposedly moving), has no depth, and therefore no association with the brain’s memory bank, it may not fully meet the brain’s processing requirements, and therefore not be presented as information which is fully understandable and usable.

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on myopia prevention and management, perceptual vision, or to book an appointment for a visual perception test online, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

He says that a British survey by the College of Optometrists showed that overall one in three people who responded to the survey believed their vision had worsened during lockdowns, and 42% of those in the 18 to 34 age group had attributed the eye deterioration to screen time and digital eye strain.

How Lockdown Impacted on Vision

“The escalation in eye problems since the pandemic started in 2020 isn’t surprising. Lockdown regulations and the virus itself led to increased stress and anxiety levels; mandatory indoor lifestyles, and less exercise and outdoor time. It also brought about a huge increase in the frequency and length of exposure to cell phones and screens, as more and more people worked, taught their children, or sought entertainment, while “staying at home”. And all of these factors are known to contribute to eye problems,” Rodney says.

“Treatments and regular eye check ups were also disrupted. This is partly due to a reluctance to go to eye clinics for fear of Covid-19 infection, which research shows affected close to 60% of people surveyed. And many hospitals postponed eye surgery, especially with regard to cataracts, one of the biggest causes of eye impairment and vision loss in those over 40, and even more so in those over 60.” 

Lockdowns’ Effect on the Myopia Epidemic

Rodney says that pre-Covid-19, nearsightedness was already affecting billions of people worldwide, and predictions were that by 2050 it would be impacting on every second person globally. But Rodney says the results of an on-going study, which has gathered data on myopia since 2015 from more than 120,000 Chinese children between 6 and 13 years old, paints a dim picture of what’s now being called “quarantine myopia”. And this may lead to the 2050 prediction being raised considerably higher. 

The 2020 data showed a more than three times faster increase in the number of children between 6 and 8 who had myopia or were likely to get it, when compared with data collected in the previous five years. When compared with 2018 data, the numbers for six-year-olds rose from 5.7% to over 20%; from 16.2% to 26.2% in seven-year-olds; and from 27.7% to 37.25% in those who were 8. The study also detected an acuity shift of 0.3 diopters (or units of refractive power) towards the refractive error.

According to Rodney, myopia doesn’t stop at causing severe loss of distance vision, and allowing clear sight only when objects are seen close up. It also impacts on myopics’ learning abilities; mental, physical and psychological health; and increases the progress and severity of the world’s worst eye diseases, including cataract; glaucoma; retinal detachment; non-age-related macular degeneration; as well as blindness in the elderly.

For more information on vision problems, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

She says that everyday stresses in today’s world, whether negative or positive, have put people under pressure and made them feel they’ve lost control. With stresses brought about by factors such as close work, long hours, heavy concentration levels, large amounts of screen time, health and financial problems; it’s not surprising that the prevalence of vision problems is rising with the stress levels.

Stress and Vision: A Vicious Cycle

“Stress creates a vicious cycle, leading to many health problems like depression, high blood pressure, worry and fear, all of which, in turn, push stress levels still higher. And the same happens with its effect on vision,” Gattegno says.

“What powers the cycle to keep on turning is the increased levels of stress hormones, and particularly cortisol, which are set in action as the body switches to fight or flight mode to protect itself against what is interpreted as a threat. These hormones raise blood pressure, cause the heart to beat faster, boost metabolism, and dilate the pupils in the eyes in preparation for an eminent battle, but stress is different in that it can last for long periods.”

“Stress can cause sensitivity to light and movement; bring on dizziness and headaches. And it can also lead to eye twitching; dry or extremely watery eyes; blurred vision; eye strain; small floaters; and eyes that feel tight and swollen,” Gattegno says. “Importantly, it can also affect the ability to concentrate and focus, and sometimes result in sudden and temporary blindness, or even lead to vision loss.”

As Stress Levels Rise So Does the Vision Threat

She says short spells of stress usually have a temporary impact on vision which can disappear of its own accord within a few weeks if the cause of the stress is removed. It’s advisable to consult an eye doctor if the vision problems continue for even a short while. 

Recent studies indicate that long-term stress can cause permanent vision damage and even result in vision loss.

“Raised levels of stress hormones (and cortisol in particular) can impact on important nervous systems, eyes, and even the brain, by disrupting blood flow in those areas. This could lead to optic neuropathy which causes eye pain, double vision, and loss of peripheral or side vision and colour vision and it may also increase the pressure in the eyes, causing (or worsening) glaucoma, an irreversible eye disease which can lead to vision loss,” says Gattegno.

For more information on eye health, visual skills and therapy, or to book an appointment, and how they can be treated, or to make an appointment for a regular eye check, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

He says: “Those who want their car to run well, will ensure the right fuel and oil is used so all its systems work smoothly. It makes sense that eyes, the organs which provide 80% of the information which shapes and guides people’s lives and how they see the world, should be given the same treatment.”

Lessening the Worst of the Worst

According to Rodney, research has shown that the wrong food can impact on vision in general, and also play a role in the development or worsening of chronic eye diseases.  On the contrary, an eye-friendly diet keeps the eyes healthier, lessens the likelihood of eye problems, slows the progression of chronic eye conditions, and lowers the risk of vision loss.

He says an eye health diet is vital when it comes to the top four vision destroyers. These include the eye-clouding cataract; age-related macular degeneration that blurs central vision; diabetic retinopathy which impacts on the retina’s blood vessels; and glaucoma, the world’s largest cause of blindness in those over 60. This eye disease which affects around 76 million people globally, raises the pressure levels in the eyes and damages the optic nerve responsible for conducting visual data from the eyes to the brain.

Eating the Way to Healthier Vision

Rodney says an eye-healthy diet should not include highly processed foods, frequent take-outs and fast-foods like burgers, milkshakes, pre-packed dinners, as well as carbohydrates, fried foods and margarine, which can clog the thin arteries supplying blood to the eyes.

Diabetics, or those who are insulin resistant, should keep clear of sugar to lower the chances of diabetic retinopathy, or slow its progression if already present. Carbonated drinks, and specially those sweetened with corn syrup, are also not recommended, as they can increase blood pressure, which can lead to vision problems. 

Using What’s Good in the Food

On the other hand, a diet which is low in fat, sugar and chemicals, but rich in fruits and vegetables can help protect the eyes’ health, says Rodney, and certain vitamins and minerals have long been seen to support eye health.

Among these stalwarts is Vitamin A, which keeps the eye’s light-sensing cells, used in the harvesting of visual information, in shape. It’s found in orange vegetables and fruits such as carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots and cantaloupes.

Studies also suggest the Vitamin C in oranges, lemons, grapefruit, strawberries,  blackberries, raspberries, bell peppers and tomatoes; and the Vitamin E from avocados, almonds and sunflower seeds and nuts may, at the very least, slow age-related macular degeneration and cataract, and protect the eyes from  environmental problems, smoking, and over-consumption of processed food and take-outs.

So will the two anti-oxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, found in leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, peas and broccoli and in eggs;  and the zinc in chickpeas, beans, oysters, lean beef and yogurt.

Omega-3s have been associated with a reduction in the risk of diabetic retinopathy in older adults, and it’s also being investigated with regard to helping with dry eyes. Omega-3s are found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna, as well as in nuts.

NOTE: Rodney says any eye-health diets should be discussed with eye doctors, whether they’re for coping with severe and sight-threatening diseases, or for improving general eye health and sight. This is important as some supplements or vitamins will only show positive effects if there is a deficiency in them. 

For more information on eye health, its treatment and management, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Gattegno says that many drivers, happy with their standard test results, are often unaware that they have one of many vision errors such as myopia (nearsightedness) which limit the distance at which people see clearly; or visual coordination issues that result in unstable or double vision. And statistics show that in 23% (close to one in four of the world’s drivers) these vision problems are uncorrected.

Signs of Trouble

An Optometry Australia survey found that just under 20 percent of drivers in the 35 to 54 age group find it difficult to see signposts when driving. 15% of them said they squinted during the day in order to address this, and more than 20% said they found themselves squinting at night.

Other factors listed by drivers included eye fatigue and dry eyes after long periods spent in front of the computer screen at work, and the glare caused by the setting sun as they drove home, specially when they were driving directly towards it. After sunset problems were identified as eye irritation caused by direct exposure to the bright lights of oncoming cars, as well as reflections on wet roads and signposts, and the changing colours of traffic lights.

Eye Test Doesn’t Cover Everything

According to Rodney, founder of Smart Vision Optometry in Australia and fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (FIAOMC), these responses indicate that relying on the eye test taken to get a driver’s license as an indication that all is well with a driver’s vision, could be a mistake. These tests in most countries, including Australia, rely on eye acuity, or how well the would-be driver’s eyes can see an object at a certain distance. This is determined by their ability to read the letters on the standard Snellen chart.

Rodney says this leaves out a big, and vital section of vision needed for driving safely. The gap lies in that it doesn’t test the driver’s ability to understand what is being seen, or react to it appropriately and quickly, particularly when they see something unexpected, such as a child suddenly crossing the road, or a car stopping just ahead of them for no apparent reason.

Acuity vs Vision

He says the ability to respond quickly is vital to safe driving, and this is not affected by eyesight, or determined by how far someone can see. It’s the relevant, usable, and applicable information that’s provided by perceptual vision following teamwork between eye and brain in processing the information gathered by sight.

This makes it important, Rodney says, that when testing sight for driver’s licenses, vision tests should also be included that determine other factors besides those indicated by the standard acuity test.

To learn more about perceptual vision and Smart Vision’s approach to Myopia management and vision therapy, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

He said the refraction error negatively affects many other vision problems, as well as educational, psychological, behavioural, and physical issues. As a result many countries, eye health organisations and practitioners like him are currently campaigning to increase the awareness regarding myopia and the often-overlooked consequences of this refraction error.

This, Rodney says, is in a bid to find ways to control or manage the incurable (but treatable) impairment, and slow its progression from low myopic levels to the pathological area of high myopia, while reducing the speed at which it is spreading round the globe.

The Most Common Vision Problem in the World

The eye impairment which causes the data-bearing light rays, which carry information on what is seen, to land in front of the retina instead of on it, is now the most common vision problem globally. Already blurring the vision and lives of one in three people globally, it’s also affecting far more children every year (and at younger ages) as well as progressing further and faster as it climbs the ladder of its levels of severity.

According to Rodney, other vision problems are also increasing in response to myopia’s increasing impact as its prevalence grows. It’s upping the impact of cataracts and glaucoma and sometimes delivering its own brand of non-age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to loss of sight. And that’s still not where it stops. It’s also giving rise to more and more learning difficulties, as well as emotional and psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, difficulty socialising, negative personality traits and low self-image in myopics who perceive and understand the world around them differently.

How Myopia Can Affect Lives

“Everything, including life, and how they react to it in directions they take, career choices, future plans, action and behaviour, can be affected by nearsightedness. To those with myopia, all of these can seem just as blurred and hard to interpret, understand, or apply to their lives, as those objects they try to look at which are more than 20ft away,” Rodney says.

“Only items close by are clearly seen. This can lead to an adjustment of interests, actions and entire lifestyles to match with what they can see clearly and easily understand. Avoidance, on the other hand, van appear to make better sense to them when either sight or mind are challenged by what’s physically or mentally far away, or requires the ‘bigger picture’ that broadens interest, increases curiosity, and allows for being able to explore different perspectives when viewing long-term concepts or thinking about the future.”

For more information on myopia, its treatment and management, or to make an appointment for a consultation, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

The Picture Painted by Numbers

During the past decade, the overall global population has risen by only 14% (just under 1billion) from 6.9 billion in 2010 to 7.8 billion in 2020. But, according to Rodney, over the same period huge spikes in the number of people struggling with vision.

This has pushed the global figures on visual impairment and uncorrected refractive errors like myopia (nearsightedness) to a current total of 2.5 billion people worldwide. This shows an eight times increase of 2billion people on a figure of 285million only 10 years ago, and pushes up the impact of vision problems to affecting 32% of the global population from only 4% in 2010.

“And 1 billion (or 40%) of those 2.5billion are dealing with eye conditions which could have been addressed or corrected, which could be caused by unawareness, or by lack of access to treatment, ” Rodney says.

Call to Action

The soaring statistics have certainly acted as calls to action, and government and eye-health organisations, scientists and researchers have responded in many countries by trying to determine why vision issues are spiking, how to slow the curve, and how to increase awareness of the threat that curve contains, says Rodney.

However, the opinions and approaches differ as to why vision problems are now affecting every third person in the world. Theories which include the increase in urban lifestyle, diet, location, genetics, too much screen time and the increased role of technology, as well as regular sedentary and close-up work and too little exercise or outdoor time, are all being investigated as possible answers or contributors to the overall problem.

According to Rodney, one of the biggest reasons is the epidemic-like rise in myopia or shortsightedness, a refractive error which affects the eyes’ ability to receive information correctly and deliver it to the brain for processing into a understandable, relevant, and meaningful image.

The People Who are Most at Risk

Statistics suggest that the most likely to have poor vision are those who live in developing countries such as those in the South-East Asia, the Western Pacific, and African regions. These areas account for about 70 percent of the vision impaired population. Most are females of any age; from the middle or lower income groups; or over 50 years old. 

Rodney said of the wide range of vision impairments and functional errors, the one most likely to cause the severest damage to sight is cataract. Statistics show it as being responsible for 51% of global blindness.

However, nearsightedness, because of its high prevalence and the major threat it offers, even when at its lowest levels of progression, not only to people’s sight, but also to their general and mental health, their self-image, and their ability to learn, has to be seen as equally serious. And when it is allowed to progress to its highest level, it can also lead to non-age-related macular degeneration, retinal tears and detachment; contribute to the development of cataract, and also sometimes, to blindness, Rodney says.  

For more information about vision impairments, myopia and the global threat to vision, and more importantly what you can do to prevent it, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

The Gift That Doesn’t Keep Giving

Rodney, a fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (FIAOMC), says that, unfortunately, instead of being a permanent vision change, this spell of clear close-up vision is more like a temporary respite. Many of the retirees who find themselves able to read without glasses for the first time in years, and experience this “gift” at a point in their lives when they actually have time to do so, should probably remember where they stored their glasses, for the time when the sight holiday slowly reaches an end and books start to return to blurs.

It may also be advisable when they start to notice a difference in this “gift” of sight to consult an eye doctor as to whether or not they were duped into a sense of comfort by thickening lenses in the eye. It’s a natural process that may happen as the eyes age, and is often an indication that cataract could be forming on one or both lenses. This is usually the cause of the so-called second sight, which gives aging eyes a last window of opportunity to enjoy some clear close up vision, before the curtains start to close, says Rodney.

The Ageing Process of Eyes

According to Gattegno, the first sign of aging eyes, which can start setting in when people are still in their 40s, is usually the onset of presbyopia, a refractive error which improves their distance vision, and worsens their ability to see things close up. It develops as the lenses in the eyes start to lose their elasticity, and along with it their ability to bend the light rays that enter the eye in such a way that they fall on the retina.

That’s when many people start donning reading glasses to help with close work, studying, and reading, and, as they get older, Rodney says, fall into a pattern of changing them regularly for new and stronger ones as the lenses get harder, and they gradually find it harder to read or do close work.

The Holiday of Sight

Rodney says it isn’t surprising that those who’ve been affected by presbyopia are overwhelmed when they start to see nearby objects like books clearly without the aid of spectacles, and may see it as being the gift of second sight. But in the eyes themselves, changes are happening, and the ultimate outcome of these changes can be very severe. As eyes age, the hardening at the centre of the lenses, also known as nuclear sclerosis, reaches a point where the lens may again be able to focus the light rays on the retina, even though the elasticity, lost a couple of decades earlier, is no longer there.

However, the process does not stop there, according to Rodney. If the hardening process doesn’t stop it’s developmental surge at that point and keeps on toughening the lens, the central part of the lens may become opaque, creating a nuclear cataract. This could at first merely require the spectacles to be brought out of storage and back into use, or for getting new ones and again adopting a policy of changing them regularly until vision becomes so bad that cataract surgery may be the only alternative to total vision loss.  

For more information about the myopia epidemic, its treatment and management, and more importantly what you can do to prevent it, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

The Opposite of Myopia but Also on the Rise

Presbyopia is the onset and slow progression of physical loss of focus as people age past midlife and they are slowly deprived of the clear vision needed when reading or doing close work over a period of time. It is the direct opposite to Myopia, shortsightedness which provides good vision when looking at something less than 20ft away, and only blurred images when the object is further away.

Rodney says both are refraction errors caused by the light rays, which enter the eyes carrying information about what is seen, not landing in the right place. The two are also similar in that they are increasingly affecting younger people than they did some decades ago. Myopia is now impacting on the lives of the very young, and presbyopia is being diagnosed as starting its slow process in some people in their early 30’s, and a larger number in their 40’s, in today’s world.    

Both Smart Vision Optometry (SVO) practitioners leave the question open as to whether the change is going in the opposite direction on a similar path to that being taken at the opposite end of the age chain, where urban lifestyle with it’s indoor living, and too much exposure to screens and close work, all of which involve near focus, have been linked to the on-going epidemic of myopia which is currently spreading round the globe.

Presbyopia on Similar but Slower Curve to Myopia

Like myopia, presbyopia is also on the rise compared to the days when the young played and the elderly retired. Then both spent more time outside, had the chance to exercise, and could enjoy exposure to natural light and the opportunity to focus on objects in the distance, Rodney says.

The rise in numbers is mostly attributed to city dwelling and schooling in the case of myopia, and to the increasing number of elderly people and their longer life expectancy for presbyopia. However, the possibility is that both could be responses by the brain to changes in the way sight and vision is focused, understood and used in the current environment in which they are living, Rodney says.

Statistics suggest that presbyopia’s curve is lower and slower than myopia’s. It is likely to rise from affecting 23% of the world population at the start of this century to 25% by 2050, while myopia is projected to reach 50% before then.

For more information on presbyopia, myopia and other refractive errors, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Epidemics Don’t Leave Quietly

Rodney says these eye experts are concerned that the myopia epidemic will bring about a “new normal” of its own, and they are even more concerned that it may have already done so through its close relationship with urban areas and the lifestyles people follow there.

“Any epidemic, or a pandemic like the current Covid-19 virus, will leave chaos in its wake as it runs through the world’s population. And it won’t be just its effects on the physical health of those it’s targeted that will be left behind. There will also be a trail of physical, emotional, and social stress that will affect millions of people’s lives and how they live them. And the Myopia epidemic is no exception. It’s been leaving a widening trail of people with this refractive error since it started its upward curve in the 1970s,” Rodney says. 

Statistics show that developed and urbanised countries like the USA, UK, South America, East Asia and some European countries, have been hardest hit by the myopic onslaught and have the biggest number of people dealing with the eye impairment which leads to their seeing anything further than 20ft away as a blur, and only having clear vision when looking at something close to hand. Unable to see the whole or long-term picture the same way as those with normal vision, many myopics (and specially those who have severe levels of myopia) tend to adopt a world view based on their own shortened and narrowed perception of views, objects and actions that are only clear when close by.

Urbanisation Growing Alongside Myopia

According to Rodney urban lifestyle could seem to be an ideal place for myopics to thrive. It’s surroundings, environment, culture and focuses revolve around speed in manufacture and development; quick turn-around time; short-term investments, and large debts; close work; inside living; take-out meals; and multiple screens, all of which exclude long-term views, plans and concern about consequences. And it seems the cities have happily accepted them, as well as the wider understanding and use of the word “myopia” and concept of shortsightedness, which are both becoming popular topics and descriptions of attitudes outside the vision arena. After many years of dormancy, these old-fashioned terms are back in political and business rhetoric to challenge speeches or decisions considered to be ignoring the long term and its consequences; and in psychology, “mental myopia” is being used to describe someone’s narrow and biased reactions to others.

However, instead of seeing this as an ideal arrangement, Rodney says matching urbanisation and myopia appears to increase the onset of myopia and the speed at which it progresses, while increased numbers of myopics may raise the influence of short-term approach to work and lifestyle in the city as it expands its share of the population.

The jury is still out as to which came first, and which will have the greatest impact on living and seeing in a myopic world. That’s because alongside the myopia epidemic, and with similar timing, urbanisation numbers have also been soaring upwards in their own “epidemic” since the 1970’s. Since then it’s risen from 1,3billion, or a third of the population living in or near cities, to 3,3billion (or half the population) by 2007, and reached 4,62billion in 2019. And by 2050, 6billion city dwellers (or two out of three of the world’s population), are expected to be crowded into cities which already house more than half the world’s population on less than 10% of the earth’s habitable land.

For more information on myopia, its treatment and management, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Why It’s Important to Contain the Surge of Myopia

Rodney says that the effects of the refractive error stretch far further than how it influences vision by causing myopics to see everything close by clearly but anything further away as a blur. It affects and worsens other eye dysfunctions, and impairments like cataracts, non-age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and retinal detachment, and it can also impact on the emotional, functional, learning and social aspects of the lives of those who have it, as well as their self-image, and ability to feel that they fit into a world they can’t see properly. 

Passed-on Lifestyle Habits Could be at Core of a Spiking Myopiademic

According to Rodney, studies that show children born to myopic parents are more likely to also be myopic, (three times more likely if only one parent is myopic, and six times more if both are) have long attributed this to a variety of genes. However, Rodney says researchers and eye doctors are currently shifting their focus towards the possibility that the parent-child increase in myopic risk might have less (or nothing) to do with genes after all.

The catalyst may instead be entrenched in the passing down, generation after generation, of the family lifestyle to young children who, in learning about their new world, tend to copy their parents’ lifestyle patterns as if these are the blueprint of life. And, Rodney says, if the family has lived in or around a city for generations, the “blueprint” passed on in terms of family history will be that of the second biggest threat in terms of prolonging the epidemic, the urban lifestyle. This way of life involves confined indoor-living in which too little time is spent exercising, or outdoors under natural light; and too much is spent in front of screens in small areas lit by artificial light, all of which have been identified as increasing the onset, and speeding up the progression of myopia.

How Myopia Could Take Over the World’s Vision

Myopia has been increasing its prevalence at a fast rate since the 1970s when under a million people were myopic. Currently it’s believed to be affecting nearly 3billion people, or one third of the world population, and projections suggest it could rise to impacting on one out of two (or around 5 billion) people by 2050.

“ The current myopia epidemic has been running up the graph fairly closely in sync with a similar but slightly faster surge in urbanisation, which is projected to reach a point by 2050 where two out of three of the global population will be living urban lifestyles,” Rodney says.

What concerns him is that this could lead to an even more blurry future in the decades that follow 2050, perhaps even leading to a world in which almost everyone could be subject to low myopia, at the very least. And where a far bigger share of those myopics than the 10% (up from 2,2 % 50 years ago) projected for the more severe levels of high or pathological myopia in 2050, may become a very harsh reality.

These statistics and projections may seem trivial with regard to the prevalence of myopia down the line, Rodney says, when the intrinsic risks to children of being born to myopic parents are taken into account. This suggests that everybody could be at risk of being affected by myopia because in a world half populated by myopics, at least one parent (and probably both) of every child born in the second half of the century, would be likely to be myopic. And this could start an endless vicious circle which could propel myopia still further and faster towards taking over the whole world’s vision.

To learn more about the myopia epidemic, its treatment and management, and more importantly what you can do to prevent it, or to make an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

HEAR: Gary Rodney Interviewed By David Wood Ultra106five.com

Lockdowns Could Cause Spike in Myopia Endemic

Rodney, a fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control, says there’s good reason to be concerned that lockdown regulations could push the curve of the Myopia epidemic still higher. It’s already one of the most prevalent eye problems affecting the children of the 21^st century, and contributes to the likelihood of eye diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and possible blindness in the elderly.

“The lockdown stay-at-home lifestyle may succeed in slowing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. But it could spike the Myopia epidemic’s curve by increasing prevalence and speeding up its progression. It’s taking children’s focus away from certain activities and shifting it to others, some of which have long been identified as possible causes for increasing myopic progression,” Rodney said.  

The vision impairment is caused by refraction errors in the eye which cause light to focus in front of the retina rather than on it, resulting in blurred distance vision. It usually develops in early childhood, because of genetics or lifestyle factors and gets progressively worse until it levels sometime in the late 20s, and can cause major eye problems later in life.

And as there is no cure for the potential damage caused by elongating the eyeball and stretching the retina, treatment has been rapidly expanding to control progression. This has led to an increasing number of options to stop this from happening, Rodney said.

Large Screens vs The Great Outdoors

“By stopping children from going to school, and preventing them from leaving the house to see friends, or spending much time outdoors, lockdown regulations have caused children to spend more time inside. And they are spending a lot of it watching TV, studying online, or making long calls or sending lengthy messages on their mobile devices simply to keep in contact with friends,” Gattegno said.

While understandable in young people who felt trapped, Gattegno said these activities worked against some of the most important aspects of myopia management, which prioritize spending at least 2 hours a day outside, and restricting access to screens.

According to Rodney, another lockdown risk is that it could interrupt treatment that’s already underway and achieving positive results. Missing scheduled appointments or falling behind in the program due to the lockdown could undo, and even reverse, what has so far been achieved.

Actions Needed to Manage Myopia Epidemic

Rodney said both parents and optometrists can go a long way towards lessening any lockdown after-effects and helping prevent the possible spike in the myopia curve. Parents need to keep a close eye on their children’s activities, monitor screen time, and watch carefully for any signs of shortsightedness. These include sitting too close to the TV, closing one eye or holding books very close when reading, eye rubbing, and frequent headaches.

If concerned, parents should have their children’s eyes tested as soon as possible. This can be done during lockdown at optometry clinics like the Smart Vision clinics in Sydney, which have instituted Covid-19 safety measures, or left for soon after the lockdown is over.   

Broader Vision of Myopia Needed

Rodney says it is vital that optometrists broaden their approach to testing and treating children with Myopia both as a norm, and even more so in the post-lockdown period.

“Single vision spectacles which have to be changed and strengthened regularly, are simply not enough, even for the mildest of myopias . Single vision spectacles or contact lenses are shown now in research to be the WORST thing you can do to contribute to the eyes getting worse and the corresponding increased potential of age-related blindness.There are a wide range of new treatments available, including the special night-time oxygen-permeable corneal lenses used in Orthokeratology. This is having positive results in 100% of cases in slowing the progression of myopia in children in our practice,” Rodney said.

Smart Vision Optometry clinics in Sydney focus on providing eye care for a number of vision problems with particular focus on children and myopia, and on determining the best treatment for each case. Visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision to find more information provided by the Smart Vision behavioural optometrists and for information on the precautions applied during COVID-19.

Click here to book an appointment online or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047, or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.  

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

HEAR: Gary Rodney Interviewed By David Wood Ultra106five.com

Responding to the results of the world’s second survey on myopia management conducted by a team from Optometry Australia, the University of Melbourne Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, and the Centre for Eye Research Australia, based on the first, and so-far only one of its kind, conducted back in 2016, Rodney said:

“Children with myopia, and their parents, should be made aware of all options available. Myopia is one of the most common eye problems currently facing both children and adults, and can lead to major problems and possible blindness in the elderly. Doors should be kept open to all  methods of intervention to prevent this from happening,” Rodney said.

Every Second Person Could Have Myopia by 2050

The founder of Smart Vision said the “glasses only” response from such a large share of the Australian optometry sector, painted a worrying picture of myopia management in Australia. And this was particularly so in a world where the WHO foresees myopia affecting close on 5billion (or 52%) of the world’s population by 2050. This is double the number of people, or one in three of  the global population, that statistics suggest are likely to be suffering from nearsightedness by the end of this year.

Rodney said it was also questionable why, in this scenario, more than half of Australian optometrists would choose to ignore ways of managing nearsightedness other than single vision glasses, while at the same time acknowledging the effectiveness of alternative treatments in their responses.

No Known cure, But Many Treatment Options

“As there is no known cure for myopia, all treatments, whether they involve single-vision or multifocal spectacles, contact lenses, special eye drops, or even the possibility of laser surgery, are aimed at trying to slow down myopia and its progression as children get older. And the best window of opportunity to do so is when they are young.

“For this reason all optometrists should be prepared and willing to explore the advantages and disadvantages of every methodology available, to determine which most benefits the child being treated,” he said.

Smart Vision Optometry clinics in Sydney focus on providing eye care for a number of vision problems with particular focus on children and myopia, and on determining the best treatment for each case. Visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision to find more information provided by the Smart Vision behavioural optometrists whose major focus is on the effects of perceptual and functional vision problems in children.  

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.