19/09/2025
Sunday Star article 14 Sep 2025
Checking their vision
Vision is one of the 5 senses gifted to humans, to explore this beautiful earth. It can e crucial for surviving, allowing humans to decide what to do in a fight-or-flight situation.
Unfortunately, short sightedness is an increasingly common condition. According to WHO(World Health Organizational, around 2.6 billion people were reported to suffer from short-sightedness in 2020. This figure is anticipated to rise to 3.4 billion by 2030.
Detecting short sightedness in children as early as possible is crucial. Left untreated short sightedness (Myopia) can lead to further complications like amblyopia (lazy eye). When one eye has poor vision, a child's developing brain may ignore its visual input, focusing only on the input of the good eye. If not treated, this will become irreversible, resulting in permanent loss of vision in the affected eye.
Other complications of Myopia include increased risk of retina detachment and development of glaucoma, as well as damage to the macula(maculapathy) causing poor vision. This can be avoided by correcting and treating child's Myopia by prescribing spectacles offering the best corrected vision.
Detecting and diagnosing Myopia is the stepping stone towards better eye health. More important is maintaining care and ensuring spectacles are constantly worn to prevent any further complications.
Parents and teachers noticing children with vague visual symptoms, such as needing to read closely, experiencing difficulty in learning and/or having an abnormal head posture or squint, are advised to request an appointment with the nearest ophthalmologist or optometrist to assess the child's vision.
Various studies have shown that intense engagement with electronic gadgets and staying indoors can further increase the risk of developing Myopia and jeapordising eye health. A recently published study led by Prof Shatriah and USM ophthalmologist Dr Wardati Jamie found that children engaging in outdoor activities tend to reduce their chances of suffering from myopia.
Sunlight exposure seems to protect against Myopia by increasing higher levels of retinal dopamine, which can delay the onset and progression of short sightedness. Encouraging students to reduce screen time and being more active outdoors will not only reduce the risk of short sightedness but can also help them develop their social and emotional skills.
Art from that, a healthy, well - balanced mea is crucial in maintaining good visual health. Patients should monitor their children's diet and avoid allowing their children to consume too much fast food which contains high amounts of sugar, salt and oil.
Instead, children should have a diet filled with lots of fibre, proteins and vegetables which are necessary for healthy growth and development. Eyesight is a gift that must be treasured. As a parent, wanting the best for our children is surely at the top of our list. Having clear vision will help children in developing well and discovering the curiosities awaiting them in the world around.
