Did you know that half of the children in Singapore are myopic at 12 and three quarters by 18? According to the Health Promotion Board, 73% of the Singaporean population is myopic. The early onset of myopia and its rapid progression can put children at a greater risk of high myopia in their adolescent or adult life. With more than half the population myopic, it is obvious that awareness needs to be raised. 

You can do your part to prevent your child from becoming the next random victim of myopia.

Take five - Remind your child to take a vision break of three to five minutes after 30-40 minutes when watching TV, playing computer games or reading. Do so by looking at distant objects or out of the window.

Sit upright - When reading or doing other near vision tasks, make sure that the height of the table and chair is ergonomic and the distance between the eyes and the book should be approximately 30cm. Children should maintain upright posture and not slouch or hunch over.

Position it correctly - When using the computer, your child’s eyes should maintain a distance of 50cm from the computer. Help adjust your child’s monitor such that the viewing angle is about 15 degrees below the horizontal eye level and tilted 10 to 20 degrees away from him. Finally, adjust the table and chair according to your child’s height.

Keep a distance - When your child is watching T or playing video games, ensure that he sits at least two meters away. Ensure that the height of the TV is at or below eye level, which means no lying on the floor or bed when watching TV.

Take your specs off - If your child can read well without spectacles, remind him or her to remove them. Spectacles that are meant for distance vision need only be or when watching TV, school or outdoor activities.

Adequate lighting - Near vision tasks should be performed in a room with adequate lighting. A poorly lit room creates eyestrain over time, and if uncorrected can lead to myopia.

Encourage outdoor activities - Rather than getting your children hooked on the TV and computer, engage them in outdoor activities such as cycling, jogging or badminton which trains the eye to relax and focus on distance.

SOME TIPS FOR YOURSELF:

Often we take it for granted that our eyes can restrain long hours of computer work or strenuous reading. What we don’t know, is that our eyes need just as much care as the rest of our body and tire out just as easily.

Be watchful for symptoms of vision problems or visual stress such as frequent headaches, tired or burning of the eyes, blurred vision, difficulty with distance vision, difficulty reading, or doing close work.

Be sure to provide adequate lighting when reading and watching TV.

Remember to take rest breaks from visually demanding tasks and from the computer screen.

Wear proper sunglasses when outdoors and include ultraviolet radiation protection in all eye wear in possible.

Be sure to wear proper safety eye wear when doing things like using power tools or when playing sports.

Schedule a comprehensive eye health and vision exam every 12 to 18 months to help ensure your correct eyesight. Especially important if you wear corrective lenses.

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