It’s another pandemic, this time not because of a virus but because of our way of life. It concerns the prevalence of myopia, which has doubled in 50 years. 20% of the population was nearsighted in 1970, 40% today.

Increased myopia due to our lifestyles

In the eighty-second episode of Sixth Science. meScience podcast from science and the future And 20 minutes, He explains the reasons for this increase and above all in detail the three lines of research that today aims to prevent its development: the so-called new brake glasses for children, daily eye drops or even lenses that can be worn at night, such as the three strategies mentioned in the microphone by Sylvie Rio Miliot Head of the Health Department at science and the future For Roman Colums 20 minutes.

The reasons for the increase in myopia are actually due to our lifestyles, the long time we spend indoors and less outdoors, the lower demand for far vision and vice versa, not to mention the lack of exposure to natural light, a factor that stimulates the synthesis of dopamine, a neuromodulator that slows down the elongation of the eye. However, myopia is precisely due to the fact that the eye is very long, which is responsible for the formation of the image in front of the retina, blurred and blurred.

5 to 10% have severe nearsightedness

All are under research, restraint strategies are under study and all are subject to ongoing trials. But we must not forget about the examination that must be carried out in childhood and before the age of three. Because in the case most people are affected by mild or moderate myopia that often stabilizes by the age of 25, others are affected by severe myopia, a real disease that develops throughout life and reveals the risks of early complications (retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, etc. ).

This is also why by 2023 the Rothschilds Foundation (Paris) will have a national research institute entirely dedicated to pathological myopia. In the meantime, have time to read the full article in the latest issue of Science and future research The May 2022 date is on sale since the end of April, to immerse yourself in the Sixth Science archives and also to subscribe to Apple Podcast Free.