Over 80 million children are affected by the myopia epidemic and the economic cost is estimated at an annual $268 billion worldwide.
What is myopia?
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error in your eye. This means that the eye does not refract light properly to a single focus, which enabled you to see images clearly.
Myopia typically begins in children and you may be more at risk if both your parents are nearsighted.
For more information, we have a Myopia treatment page.
Symptoms of myopia can include:
- Eye squinting
- Eye strain
- Headaches
- Fatigue feeling when playing sports or driving
With children, the NHS advise to look for these additional symptoms
- Regularly rubbing their eyes
- Sitting close to the T.V.
- Needing to sit near the front of the class at school because of difficulties to see the whiteboard
- Complaints of tired eyes and headaches
From bustling cities of the western world to developing societies in east, this interactive map will reveal the countries that are being swept with an epidemic of myopia and the countries that aren’t.
Find out more below with this infographic showing where the myopia epidemic has the greatest presence!
Sources
NHS
Read more on eye health, laser eye surgery and vision, here
If you are interested in vision correction at Focus Clinic please call us on 0207 307 8250 and book a free consultation.
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