Happy reading, healthy eyes

Reading is wonderful for children – it boosts language skills, stimulates creativity and imagination, and fosters critical thinking. And of course, it’s simply a lot of fun! There’s nothing better than disappearing into another world with an exciting, funny, or adventurous book.

But spending long periods of time reading up close can also contribute to myopia (nearsightedness).

To make sure your little bookworm keeps their eyes healthy, it’s important to understand what myopia is – and what you can do to help prevent it.

What is Myopia?

When you look at something, your eyes need to adjust. This means that the muscles around your eye lens either contract or relax. As a result, the lens becomes rounder or flatter, changing its focusing power. When the muscles are relaxed, the lens flattens, allowing you to see clearly at a distance. When the muscles contract, the lens becomes rounder, making it easier to see up close.

If you spend a long time focusing on something nearby, the eye muscles remain constantly tense to keep the lens rounded. To reduce this strain, the eyeball gradually elongates. This makes it easier for the eye to focus up close, but unfortunately, it also reduces sharpness when looking far away. In myopia, the eye has become longer. The higher the negative prescription, the longer the eye has grown. To see clearly, glasses with minus lenses are required.

How Serious is Myopia?

If the eyeball grows longer than 26 millimetres (normal length: about 23 mm), this can lead to problems later in life. Research shows that high myopia (–6 or stronger) in childhood significantly increases the risk of developing serious visual impairments as an adult. This is often caused by myopic macular degeneration, but the risks of retinal detachment, early cataracts, and glaucoma are also elevated with strong myopia. Recent studies even suggest that people with mild myopia (from –2) already have an increased risk of eye diseases.

How Can You Prevent Myopia?

Myopia, unfortunately, cannot always be prevented, as heredity also plays a role. For children whose parents are nearsighted, it is especially important to follow the preventive 20-20-2 rule.

This simple guideline helps protect children’s eyes:

Every 20 minutes of close-up work,
look into the distance for 20 seconds,
and spend at least 2 hours outdoors each day.

These small habits can help reduce eye strain and lower the risk of developing myopia.