AWARENESS OF THE MYOPIA EPIDEMIC BUILDING
The recent creation of Myopia Awareness Week during the month of May is one of the measures taken to increase public knowledge that
myopia is a disease that can be prevented with early diagnosis.
It’s estimated that 30 percent of the global population is myopic, with projections that this will increase to 50 percent by 2050. Higher levels of myopia are strongly linked to vision-threatening eye disease. The younger the patient at the time of diagnosis, the higher the risk. With the rate of growth of myopia worldwide, the condition is expected to reach pandemic levels. “Juvenile-onset” myopia is now considered a clinical risk factor that needs to be proactively managed. The good news is we now have effective treatments, and as new information and research become available, these treatments are continually being reviewed and optimized. At MVO, we are acquiring new equipment that will assist in diagnosing and managing our young patients with risk factors for rapid progression of myopia – watch for more information in our June newsletter.
Be sure to book your kids in for their annual eye exam to ensure that all eye health risk factors are identified.
Also, check out this link which is an excellent resource for questions about myopia.