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The myopia boom (2015)

nature.com

31–40 of 73 posts

Re: The myopia boom (2015)

#32

Sunglasses are something else to consider. There is zero scientific evidence sunglasses protect your vision in any way. (There is suspicion UV exposure can lead to some eye diseases, but it's not a proven link, nor are the mechanisms understood). If increased exposure to sunlight is correlated with better vision, we better revisit our completely non-scientific sunglasses dogma.

This is not scientific in any way. when I'm exposed to sunlight for a long period of time without sunglasses, at night my eyes hurt. I tend to think that pain is a way the body has to let you know something is not right.

Re: The myopia boom (2015)

#33

Sunglasses are something else to consider. There is zero scientific evidence sunglasses protect your vision in any way. (There is suspicion UV exposure can lead to some eye diseases, but it's not a proven link, nor are the mechanisms understood). If increased exposure to sunlight is correlated with better vision, we better revisit our completely non-scientific sunglasses dogma.

The evidence is firming up that UV (esp UV-B) exposure is linked to cataracts and macular degeneration.

https://nei.nih.gov/news/briefs/uv_cataract

https://www.macular.org/ultra-violet-and-blue-light

Blue light from LEDs that are out of spec can also be a problem. The EU already has standards for this.

http://www.cree.com/led-components/media/documents/XLamp_Eye...

Re: The myopia boom (2015)

#34
Anybody who studied in Yeshiva (Jewish religious school) knows that almost all of the kids have glasses. It could be a combination of causes rather than just one. I a yeshiva people study from books from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep. So it might be the combination of reading all day and not doing any outside activity together that cause this problem.

Re: The myopia boom (2015)

#35

Sunglasses are something else to consider. There is zero scientific evidence sunglasses protect your vision in any way. (There is suspicion UV exposure can lead to some eye diseases, but it's not a proven link, nor are the mechanisms understood). If increased exposure to sunlight is correlated with better vision, we better revisit our completely non-scientific sunglasses dogma.

Wait, do you use sunglasses for the purpose of protecting your eyesight?

Re: The myopia boom (2015)

#36
post #32

Sunglasses are something else to consider. There is zero scientific evidence sunglasses protect your vision in any way. (There is suspicion UV exposure can lead to some eye diseases, but it's not a proven link, nor are the mechanisms understood). If increased exposure to sunlight is correlated with better vision, we better revisit our completely non-scientific sunglasses dogma.

This is not scientific in any way. when I'm exposed to sunlight for a long period of time without sunglasses, at night my eyes hurt. I tend to think that pain is a way the body has to let you know something is not right.

You've probably experienced https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photokeratitis

I don't know if photokeratitis of the severity caused by normal outdoor activities has long-term consequences, but more severe UV exposure such as from welding without goggles can definitely cause permanent damage.

Re: The myopia boom (2015)

#37
post #32

Sunglasses are something else to consider. There is zero scientific evidence sunglasses protect your vision in any way. (There is suspicion UV exposure can lead to some eye diseases, but it's not a proven link, nor are the mechanisms understood). If increased exposure to sunlight is correlated with better vision, we better revisit our completely non-scientific sunglasses dogma.

This is not scientific in any way. when I'm exposed to sunlight for a long period of time without sunglasses, at night my eyes hurt. I tend to think that pain is a way the body has to let you know something is not right.

Pain implies that something is not right, but something may be wrong without being painful (e.g. endocrinian disruptors).

Re: The myopia boom (2015)

#39

I can only imagine the problem getting much worse in the future. Wherever I go, I see kids of all ages hooked on cell-phones - either on mobile games, youtube videos or on instagram/snapchat. This is probably significantly cutting down their natural light exposure.

I've had several optometrists suggest to me, based mostly on anectodal evidence, that excessive use of small screens lead to more cases of astigmatism than simply myopia, which is even harder to correct.

Re: The myopia boom (2015)

#40

Any article about myopia which doesn't mention anything about nutrition is "shortsighted" (pun intended). One of the most interesting discussions around causes for myopia is centered on nutrition, and how growing faster than our ancestors can negatively effect our vision. I looked for a specific reference to share here (something I've read years ago), but I didn't find it.

That's because what you eat has nothing to do with the shape of your eyeball, and there's no scientific basis for bringing this up in the context of myopia

It has. Drinking milk for instance is directly correlated to your growth
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