At the beginning of the new semester, many "secrets" and "artifacts" of myopia prevention and control have been passed on by word of mouth among parents, and some "myopia treatment products" have achieved a lot of sales results on e-commerce platforms. So, what do these "news" ophthalmologists think? How to avoid misunderstandings and stay away from the "IQ tax" in scientific prevention and control of myopia?
Darkness and near are important environmental factors that contribute to myopia
Myopia is a refractive abnormality mainly due to an increase in the axial axis of the eye, and the most typical symptom is blurred vision at a distance and clear vision at near and near. Children and adolescents, people with family genetic history, and long-term practitioners of near eye use are all high-risk groups for myopia.
The cause of myopia is not yet understood, but it is often related to genetic factors, poor eye habits, etc., and is generally thought to be the result of a complex interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental exposure. While genetic factors are difficult to change, it is helpful to start with environmental factors. There are two main environmental factors that contribute to myopia: dark and near. The former refers to the type of spectrum to which children are exposed to poor spectrum or poor illumination, and the latter refers to an increase in close activity.
According to the "National Children and Adolescents Myopia Survey Report" released by the National Health Commission, the overall myopia rate of children and adolescents in China in 2020 was 52.7%, of which 35.6% were primary school students, 71.1% were junior high school students, and 80.5% were high school students.
Depending on the degree of myopia, myopia can be divided into mild myopia (50 degrees to 300 degrees), moderate myopia (300 degrees to 600 degrees), and high myopia (more than 600 degrees). Prevention of myopia is important mainly because mild myopia can progress to high myopia over time, increasing the risk of blinding complications of myopia, such as retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, and glaucoma. The high incidence of myopia not only seriously affects the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, but also endangers the quality of the current and future population, and is a major health problem related to the future of the country and the nation.
For "dark": what kind of light is more eye-friendly
As mentioned earlier, the light environment is very important for the prevention and control of myopia in children and adolescents, so it is not uncommon for hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan of eye protection lamps to become popular in the parent circle, but are such products really useful? How is it different from a regular table lamp? Is the popular street lamp that is "close to the sun and prevents myopia" reliable? This type of product can be analyzed from the perspective of an ophthalmologist.
Large street lamps, also known as vertical eye protection lamps or sunlight lamps, get their name because of their tall, square shape, similar to street lights. In essence, the street lamp is a super-large floor lamp with greater power and a wider luminous area, which can emit light on both sides at the same time to provide a wider range of lighting effects.
From the perspective of luminous principle, the eye protection lamp represented by the large street lamp can indeed be regarded as a high-quality lighting equipment for these reasons.
First, there is no strobe hazard. Strobe refers to the rapid, repetitive change of light emitted by a light source over time. Studying and working in the strobe light for a long time can make the eyes feel tired, dry, and even cause headaches, vision loss and other problems. Eye-protecting table lamps such as street lamps usually use advanced electronic ballasts or DC drive technology, which can effectively eliminate flicker and provide stable and comfortable light for the eyes.
Second, there is no blue light hazard. Blue light is a type of visible light with a shorter wavelength and higher energy. Excessive exposure to blue light can cause damage to the retina of the eye, especially in children's eyes. Eye-protecting table lamps such as high-quality street lamps will reduce the intensity of blue light through special light filtering technology to make it meet safety standards. For example, the use of blue light filter coatings or special light-emitting diode (LED) chips can effectively reduce the output of blue light and protect the eyes from damage.
Third, the light uniformity is high. Uniform light can reduce eye fatigue. Eye-protecting table lamps such as street lamps can provide more uniform illumination, avoid local over-brightness or over-darkening, make the eyes more comfortable in reading, writing and other activities, and reduce the risk of myopia.
Fourth, the brightness can be adjusted. Different environments and activities require different light intensities. Eye-protecting table lamps such as street lamps generally have a brightness adjustment function, which can be adjusted according to actual needs. For example, choose a higher brightness when you use your eyes up close, such as reading and doing homework, doing crafts, playing games, looking at electronic devices, etc., and lower the brightness when you are about to rest or be active at night.
The large street lamp is very good, but the price is higher, and parents need to set it according to their own economic conditions and actual needs.
From the perspective of eye protection, a small table lamp with indoor lighting + large street lamp can create a good light source environment at home. If there is no large street lamp, you can also take the lighting combination of small table lamp + indoor lamp. When choosing a table lamp, try not to use colored lights. As for choosing white or warm lights, both have their own advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of a warm light is that it can create a comfortable atmosphere, and the relatively soft lighting helps reduce eye strain, but it may not be bright enough and the color reproduction is low; White lights have high brightness and good illumination, and the color reproduction is high, but they may be too dazzling and lack warmth. During use, the light color can be changed according to different usage scenarios to obtain a more comfortable lighting experience.
For "near": whether the far-image light screen and flip shot are useful
In recent years, myopia prevention and control equipment on the market has been continuously updated, but in essence, it is divided into two categories; One is the remote pulling equipment, and the other is the ciliary muscle modulation training equipment. For example, far-image light screens and flip shots are two of these types of products, which have many benefits for protecting the eyes.
The tele-imaging light screen is a device that uses optical technology to achieve long-distance imaging, which mainly plays a role in preventing and controlling myopia by simulating long-distance viewing and reducing retinal hyperopic defocus. Hyperopic defocus is an optical phenomenon in which light rays are focused on the back of the retina, when the eye continues to elongate in order to make the image clear, resulting in a deepening of myopia. The special optical design of the tele-image light screen can project the image to a certain distance to simulate the effect of long-distance viewing, so as to reduce the adjustment burden of the eyes and relieve visual fatigue. The occurrence and development of myopia is closely related to the hyperopic defocus around the retina, and the television light screen can make the image on the retina clearer, and at the same time reduce the blurred area of the peripheral retina and reduce the degree of hyperopic defocus. In addition, some high-end tele-image light screens also have intelligent adjustment functions, such as automatic adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, etc., to adapt to different environments and user needs.
The price of the tele-image light screen is often tens of thousands of yuan, which is suitable for families with better economic conditions. In contrast, the price of flip shots is more affordable, with tens or hundreds of yuan, but they need to be used under the guidance of a doctor. If you have acute eye inflammation, glaucoma, retinal disease, etc., or if you experience eye pain, headache, nausea or other discomfort, you should stop using it immediately and consult a medical professional.
Flip paddle, also known as adjustment training glass, is a tool used for eye accommodative function training, and is also used in the ophthalmology department of regular hospitals. The accommodative ability of the eye refers to the ability of the eye to quickly change the shape of the lens when looking at objects at different distances, so that objects can be clearly imaged on the retina. If the ability to adjust is insufficient, it is easy to have problems such as visual fatigue and myopia. Through the rapid alternating gaze of the positive and negative pairs of lenses, the flip shot can effectively exercise the adjustment ability of the eye: when switching from a positive lens to a negative lens, the eye needs to adjust nervously; When switching from negative to positive lenses, the eyes need to relax and adjust. Repeated training in this way can improve the speed and amplitude of the adjustment of the eyes and enhance the adjustment function. For people who are already myopia, flipping can also be used as an adjunct treatment to control the progression of myopia.
Flip shooting is suitable for people of different ages, including teenagers, especially those with visual fatigue, myopia, long-term close-up eye use, and insufficient accommodative function. Following the advice of your ophthalmologist or optometrist to maintain the correct posture and methods can be used safely and effectively for training.
Can "massage, acupuncture, moxibustion, and fumigation medicine" cure myopia?
In the matter of myopia prevention and control, there are still some "pits" that need to be avoided. Some businesses claim that myopia can be treated through massage, acupuncture, smoking, medicine and other methods, and many parents believe it to be true, but they don't know that this is a lack of scientific basis.
Massaging the acupuncture points around the eyes can relieve the fatigue of the eyes, but it cannot treat myopia. Because massage cannot change the shape and refractive state of the eyeball, if the massage is not done properly, it may also cause damage to the eyes and even cause serious consequences such as retinal detachment. As for acupuncture, there are currently no clinical studies that prove that acupuncture is effective in treating myopia. The stimulation effect produced by acupuncture cannot change the refractive state of the eye, and there is also a risk of infection and bleeding in acupuncture in irregular small workshops.
"Smoky eyes can cure myopia" is even more nonsense, it is a very dangerous behavior and should never be used to treat myopia. Smoke produces a lot of harmful substances that can seriously damage the eyes and even lead to blindness. The cornea has a strong barrier effect, and it is difficult for general drugs to penetrate into the inside of the eye through the skin, not to mention the risk of causing eye allergies.
In addition, some parents give their children lutein-containing health products, which also needs to be cautious. As a natural antioxidant, lutein is found in the macular area of the retina, where it can absorb blue light, reduce free radical damage to the eyes, and protect tissues such as the retina. However, it cannot treat myopia, nor can it replace other myopia prevention and control methods. Supplementing lutein in moderation is beneficial for maintaining eye health, but if consumed in excess, it may cause adverse effects on the body, leading to problems such as yellowing of the skin.
In short, myopia prevention and control is a long-term task, and the focus is on prevention. In addition to developing good eye habits, increasing outdoor activity time, and paying attention to a balanced diet, it is recommended that parents take their children to the hospital for eye examination every six months, and establish a refractive development file for their children, so that doctors can understand the changes in their children's vision and adjust their myopia prevention and control plans in time.
(The author, Ma Teng, is a physician at the Eye Center of Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University)
Source丨Beijing Daily