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There has been a huge increase in the number of young people with vision problems - such as myopia, or short-sightedness, according to new research released by the Department of Health In Taipei.
While the research points to a local increase of 37 per cent in pre-school children suffering from myopia in 2009; the dramatic rise could be indicative of a much wider, global
vision correction problem.
The alarming number of children in the region with vision problems highlights the need for an effective
cure for childhood myopia - such as Ortho K overnight corrective lenses, which are a good alternative to
corrective laser surgery.
Taiepi's Department of Health in the region has been compiling statistics on childhood myopia since 1999. It found that the dramatic rise in childhood short-sightedness is a relatively recent phenomenon.
In 2006 the number of pre-school children with vision problems stood at 20.66 per cent. This surged sharply in 2007 to 27.83 per cent and three years later was a further 9.17 per cent higher still.
According to a chief of division at the health department, the increase can be explained by the increasing numbers of children using computers and reading books on a daily basis.
He suggested that children should be encouraged to take regular 15 minute breaks from such close-up activity.
Recent research from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that the amount of time modern children spend using computer screens has a definite impact on their eye health.
The organisation claimed that screen-based activities were exacerbating the global myopia epidemic and
vision correction was becoming a relatively commonplace treatment.
A recent Stabilising of Myopia by Accelerated Reshaping Technique study showed that Ortho K overnight contact lenses are an excellent means of addressing myopia in children and can actually halt its progression in some cases.
By Oliver Edgar
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