The Institute of Medical Education and Prevention (IEMP) organized the first edition of National Myopia Information and Screening Days from 21 to 25 November.
The objective was to raise awareness among the French about this poorly known vision disorder, which is sometimes serious and on the rise in the population, reports
La Dépêche
.
Already more than 30% of French people are affected today.
Globally, it is estimated that 2.5 billion people are nearsighted, that is to say, they have clear near vision but blurred distance vision.
For ophthalmologists, a "real epidemic" is underway, and the WHO estimates that, by 2050, 5 billion people could be nearsighted.
Better inform to better curb
Among the causes of this increase, we find in the first place screens, to which children are exposed at an increasingly early age.
According to INSEE, a quarter of 2-year-old children have already been exposed to screens, excluding television.
On average, these 2-year-olds spend almost an hour a day in front of a screen.
Other factors also increase the risk of myopia, such as genetic predispositions, lack of natural light, or reading and writing.
An Australian study, for example, showed that children who read more than two books per week on average were more myopic than the others.
During these awareness days, the IEMP therefore recalled that myopia was a disorder that could be slowed down.
The main challenge is to quickly detect the onset of myopia or established myopia in order to ensure its management.
To obtain an examination, a site has been set up: www.ensemblecontrelamyopia.fr.
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