The HEALTH : October 2019 | Page 31

OCTOBER, 2019 | The HEALTH Xtra WORLD SIGHT DAY 2019 Escalating cases of Myopia among children Th e inability to see objects or visuals at a distance clearly could possibly be one of the symptom of suff ering Myopia among children Xtra 07 WORLD SIGHT DAY CHARITY RUN 2.0 12 OCTOBER 2019 SABTU Perkarangan Lobi Utama Hospital Shah Alam ANJURAN BERSAMA : M YOPIA, or near-sightedness occurs when the eyeball is too long, relative to the focusing power of the cornea and lens of the eye. It means that the eye does not bend or refract light properly to a single focus to see images clearly. For people who suff er Myopia, close objects look clear but distant objects appear blurred. Myopia is a common condition that aff ects mostly children. Myopia is inherited and is often discovered in children when they are between eight and 12 years old. Th us, children may encounter higher risk of getting Myopia if their parents are near-sightedness. It is important to have regular eye examinations by an ophthalmologist to watch for changes in the retina that might lead to retinal detachment. If the myopia is mild, it is called low myopia. Severe myopia is known as high myopia. High myopia will usually stabilize between 20 and 30 years old. With high myopia, you can usually correct vision easily with glasses, contact lenses or sometimes with refractive surgery. Myopia treatment Eyeglasses or contact lenses are the most common methods of correcting myopia symptoms. Depending on the degree of your myopia, you may need to wear your glasses or contact lenses all the time or only when you need very clear distance vision, like seeing a chalkboard, driving or watching a movie. Th ey work by refocusing light rays on the retina, compensat- ing for the shape of your eye. Eyeglasses can also help protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) light rays. A special lens coating that screens out UV light is available. However, children should be getting enough sunlight expo- sure to reduce the risks of suff ering Myopia. Outdoor activities are the most basic necessity should be practised by children at school or even at home. It is very essential to allocate some qual- ity time to do outdoor activities regularly. — Th e Health Xtra KELAB SUKAN KEBAJIKAN & REKREASI HSAS PERKHIDMATAN OFTALMOLOGI KEBANGSAAN Hospital Shah Alam SELANGOR 5 U K N M RUN F