What you can do about nearsightedness

How many people are nearsighted? In the United States, about 30 percent of the population is affected by myopia (nearsightedness), according to the American Optometric Association. In a study from the World Health Organization, scientists believe that about half the whole world’s population will be nearsighted by 2050. Want to know why?

Well, remember how your parents talk about spending their leisure time outdoors playing when they were young? Nowadays, you will most likely spend your free time indoors playing video games or staring at your phones. Don’t worry, I am with you, but it can be a problem if you don’t take a break.

Video games have been around for more than 30 years now, and they are bringing new challenges for our eyes and brain. In order to protect your vision, you should take breaks every 20 to 30 minutes. If you look at the screen for too long without a break, you can get eye strain.

Good nutrition can also help your eyesight. Eat foods with vitamin A such as carrots. Lutein is a substance in the retina. You can gain some of this in red, orange or yellow vegetables. Selenium, which can help your body absorb nutrients and vitamins, can be found in walnuts and seafood.

Myopia can easily be fixed with glasses, contact lenses or surgery. But honestly, do you really want to pay so much money for any of those if it can be avoided? Then again, myopia can be inherited. In other words, it can be passed down in your genes.