Myopia, or shortsightedness as it is commonly known, is on the rise. It’s the most common eye disorder in the world, and the biggest cause of visual impairment, especially in children. The facts are there for all to see. In 2010, an estimated 27 percent of people were struggling with a significant level of myopia, and by 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 52 percent.

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

Sight begins in the eyes. But it doesn’t end there. The brain is needed to process and interpret data from the eyes. It’s not a simple process. One part of the brain conjures up an image based on the data it receives from the eyes. Other parts of the brain interpret it. The gift of sight involves much more than just the eyes. Gary Rodney, a behavioural optometrist and an expert in the field of myopia control guides us through a complex process that is often taken for granted: seeing.

The Brain’s Role in Vision

It all begins when a person decides to look at something. A part of the brain stem known as the “pons” tells the eyes to move towards the object, setting the surprisingly complex process that is vision into motion.

The brain is clearly divided into lobes, and the first part of the brain to process visual information is the occipital lobe which is situated at the back of the brain. The occipital lobe’s role in vision is proven and not just a matter of conjecture. When people suffer damage to this part of the brain as a result of illness or injury, they may experience visual disturbances, or even lose their sight completely.

There’s a difference between having an image and understanding it, and the occipital lobe can’t help with the latter. Instead, visual information requires further processing, and different parts of the brain do the work.

Visuospatial cognition takes place in the parietal lobe. This part of the brain is the seat of depth perception and helps with the coordination of movement based on data such as direction and distance. Reaching for, and successfully grasping an object, for example, requires several pieces of information. Recognising the object is a good start, but if it is to be handled, it’s location in relation to the body is a vital piece of information.

But recognition doesn’t take place in the parietal lobe. For that, the temporal lobe must contribute its share to the process of vision. It’s the seat of memory and it’s able to turn an image into something that’s recognisable based on prior experience.

Until quite recently, experts believed that the frontal lobe wasn’t involved in processing visual information, but it’s now believed to have a rather important role. The theory is supported by information from MRI scans that showed frontal lobe activity during the performance of certain visual tasks.

It’s believed that this part of the brain “focuses” on specific objects. To illustrate this, imagine a room full of various objects. A person is looking for his or her car keys, but plenty of other things are in view. The frontal lobe might be the part of the brain that helps with spotting those car keys among the clutter of other objects in view.

Super-Quick Communication Through a Neural Network

In order to transfer information from the eyes to the different parts of the brain that use and interpret visual information, a super-fast information highway is needed. The retina of the eye has special light-sensitive cells called rod and cone cells. When light strikes one of them, it sends a nerve impulse through the optic nerve to the occipital lobe which processes the information to make up part of an image.

But the image is without any meaning until the occipital lobe is able to match it with a memory. If there’s no match, this part of the brain will store it as a new memory, or it will still retain the memory, if only temporarily, categorising it into understandable information that can be used like “Oh that’s where the car keys are!”

It’s remarkable how quickly this all happens. Some researchers have equated the “speed of sight” as being equivalent to that of a good Ethernet connection, but that’s rather conservative as estimates go. It can be even faster. It’s theorised that the brain prioritises information and works a little more slowly when it deems information less than vitally important, saving its top speed for urgent data – like that obtained from rapidly approaching objects.

Behavioural Optometry: When Eye Tests are About More Than Just Eyes

With so much more than eyes involved in vision, it should come as no surprise that some optometrists do much more than just test the physical ability of the eyes to see clearly. “There’s a lot more to vision than just seeing,” says Gary. “That’s why behavioural optometrists test for visual skills as well as visual acuity. When visual skills need to be developed, it’s more than just a matter of prescribing glasses, but proven therapies can often help with vision problems that go beyond mere eyesight.”

For more information on vision therapy and how it works, 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.

“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.

“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.

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.