Nearsightedness News and Research

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Exposure to daylight helps protect children from myopia

Two new studies add to the growing evidence that spending time outdoors may help prevent or minimize nearsightedness in children. A study conducted in Taiwan, which is the first to use an educational policy as a public vision health intervention, finds that when children are required to spend recess time outdoors, their risk of nearsightedness is reduced.

2 May 2013

Wearing OK contact lenses every night can restore age-related loss of near vision

By middle age, most people have age-related declines in near vision (presbyopia) requiring bifocals or reading glasses. An emerging technique called hyperopic orthokeratology (OK) may provide a new alternative for restoring near vision without the need for glasses, according to a study, "Refractive Changes from Hyperopic Orthokeratology Monovision in Presbyopes", appearing in the April issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

1 Apr 2013

Study confirms rapid effectiveness of temporary, nonsurgical alternative to LASIK

A contact lens technique called overnight orthokeratology (OK) brings rapid improvement in vision for nearsighted patients. Now a new study shows that OK treatment works mainly by flattening the front of the cornea, reports a recent study, "Posterior Corneal Shape Changes in Myopic Overnight Orthokeratology", appearing in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

5 Mar 2013

Investing in eyeglasses in developing nations could boost global economy, study shows

"Eliminating the worldwide shortage of eyeglasses could cost up to $28 billion, but would add more than $200 billion to the global economy, according to a study" conducted by researchers from Australia and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and published last month in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, the New York Times reports.

28 Nov 2012

New contact lenses can cure nearsightedness, slow progression rates in children

Nearsightedness, or myopia, affects more than 40 percent of people in the U.S. and up to 90 percent of children in some parts of Asia. The problem begins in childhood and often progresses with age.

3 Oct 2012

New insights into process of eye-size control in zebrafish

A Purdue University student's research project related to zebrafish eye development could lead to a better understanding of vision problems that affect billions of people worldwide.

3 Aug 2012

Study investigates optical treatments to slow myopia progression in children

Research by an optometrist at the University of Houston (UH) supports the continued investigation of optical treatments that attempt to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children.

6 Jun 2012

Insight into why some children develop myopia

Myopia (nearsightedness) develops in children when the lens stops compensating for continued growth of the eye, according to a study in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

2 Mar 2012

Less incidence of nearsightedness in kids who spend more time outdoors: Study

A new study finds that children who play outdoors often are smarter, leaner and stronger than kids more inclined toward indoor activities. They're less likely to suffer from nearsightedness, in which objects in the distance appear blurry.

26 Oct 2011

More exposure to natural light may reduce rates of nearsightedness

A new analysis of recent eye health studies shows that more time spent outdoors is related to reduced rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, in children and adolescents. Myopia is much more common today in the United States and many other countries than it was in the 1970s. In parts of Asia, more than 80 percent of the population is nearsighted.

24 Oct 2011

Collagen crosslinking for keratoconus may receive FDA approval in 2012

Patients in the United States who have the cornea-damaging disease keratoconus may soon be able to benefit from a new treatment that is already proving effective in Europe and other parts of the world.

24 Oct 2011

Loma Linda University's Vision Intervention Program receives Spot screener from PediaVision

PediaVision today announced that Loma Linda University's Vision Intervention Program is the first in the State of California to receive the revolutionary new vision screener from PediaVision called "Spot."

30 Sep 2011

Optical treatment strategies to correct peripheral vision may slow progression of myopia

New scientific evidence on how feedback from the eye affects visual development may lead to more effective approaches to treating myopia (nearsightedness) in children, reports a paper in the September issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

29 Aug 2011

New system for optimizing eyesight

With research and development assistance from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and seed funding from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), an Atlanta-based company is developing what it hopes will be the next-generation instrument for optimizing eyesight for the hundreds of millions of people who wear glasses or contacts - or who are candidates for corrective surgery.

14 Jul 2011

Innovation in contact lenses for children wins Donald Korb Award

Earl L. Smith III, O.D., dean of the College of Optometry at the University of Houston (UH), recently received an award for his work in slowing the progression of nearsightedness in children.

30 Jun 2011

New Westchester Montefiore Laser and Eye Center to offer ophthalmology services

The new Montefiore Laser and Eye Center recently opened its doors to provide comprehensive care to Westchester patients at the Montefiore Medical Specialists of Westchester in Scarsdale, New York. Seven board-certified ophthalmologists from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Montefiore Medical Center provide patients with specialty emphasis in pediatric ophthalmology, oculoplastic surgery, glaucoma, cornea and laser refractive surgery.

8 Jun 2011

Inexpensive drug therapy shows promise in treating premature infants with childhood blindness

A readily available, inexpensive drug therapy showed a significant benefit in treating premature infants with the worst and historically most difficult-to-treat cases of retinopathy of prematurity.

17 Feb 2011

Assessment of child's learning strategies can reveal signs of vision problems

Parents across Ontario will be soon receiving the second round of newly formatted report cards emphasizing the importance of how students work and how this contributes to their overall academic success. As parents and teachers review each child's progress they may want to consider whether vision problems might be a contributing factor to performance and behaviour in class.

16 Feb 2011

Obesity associated with decreased risk of open-angle glaucoma in women, not men

Obesity may be associated with higher eye pressure and a decreased risk of open-angle glaucoma in women but not men, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

14 Feb 2011

Regular eye exams are critical to prevent glaucoma

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, may strike without symptoms, is not preventable, but it is treatable. During National Glaucoma Awareness Month, The Minnesota Optometric Association (MOA) urges regular eye exams because early detection and treatment is critical to maintain healthy vision and protect the eyes from the effects of glaucoma and other potentially blinding diseases.

6 Jan 2011