Experts warn of 'epidemic' in nearsightedness with half the world needing glasses by 2050

Dr Andrew Herbert, a psychologist focusing on visual perception at the Rochester Institute of Technology, warned that myopia could become an epidemic by 2050

Half of the world will need glasses by 2050, leading to a global vision epidemic, eye experts warn. 

Recent research shows that the rate of myopia - nearsightedness - has increased by nearly 25 percent in several countries including the US.

Dr Andrew Herbert, a psychologist focusing on visual perception at the Rochester Institute of Technology, warned that based on this research, if these trends continue, as many as 4billion people will need corrective lenses. 

Despite previous concern that screentime may be damaging our sight, Dr Herbert said the rise could be due spending more time reading from devices and books close to the face - and less time outside.

'Myopia, or the need for corrected vision to focus to see objects at a distance, has become a lot more common in recent decades. Some may even consider myopia, also known as nearsightedness, an epidemic,' Dr Herbert wrote for The Conversation. 

'The surge in myopia cases will likely have its worst effects 40 or 50 years from now because it takes time for the young people being diagnosed with nearsightedness now to experience the most severe vision problems.'

A study in Ophthalmology Journal predicted that half of the world's population will have myopia, or nearsightedness, by 2050

Nearsightedness typically develops in childhood or adolescence, though it can start at any age. It affects about 30 percent of the US population

Myopia is a condition in which close objects look clear, but objects that are further away appear blurry. 

Normally, vision depends on light passing through the cornea and the lens. These parts of the eye bend or refract when light hits the eye, directing it to the retina, which is in the back of the eye athat sends signals to the brain that interpret an image. 

However, nearsightedness occurs when parts of the eye are misshapen and the eye cannot properly focus on incoming light. This makes sights appear blurry. 

Nearsightedness typically develops in childhood or adolescence, though it can start at any age. Dr Herbert noted that while it runs in families, 'there's no single myopia gene. That means the causes of myopia are more behavioral than genetic.' 

'And it's progressive. Blur leads to eye growth, which causes more blur, which makes the eye grow even larger, and so on.'  

Myopia affects about 30 percent of the US population, according to the American Optometric Association.

The agency also notes that high levels of screentime, such as looking at a smartphone, raised the risk of myopia by 30 percent, and if that was combined with excessive computer use, the likelihood rose to 80 percent. 

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However, Dr Herbert pointed to two recent studies featuring surveys of children and parents, which showed that the uptick in myopia could be due to spending more time staring at multiple kinds of objects right in front of our eyes. This could be screens but also books or drawing pads. 

'The more time we spend focusing on something within arm’s length of our faces, dubbed “near work,” the greater the odds of having myopia,' he wrote. 

'So as much as people might blame new technologies like smartphones and too much "screen time" for hurting our eyes, the truth is even activities as valuable as reading a good book can affect your eyesight.' 

Dr Herbert also pointed to a 2022 study in the journal BMC Public Health, which found that nearsightedness rates were four times greater in children who didn't spend much time outside, such as only going out once or twice a week, compared to those who did so daily. 

In developing countries, Dr Herbert attributed the spikes to rapid development and industrialization, particularly in East Asian countries over the last 50 years. 'Around that time, young people began spending more time in classrooms reading and focusing on other subjects very close to their eyes and less time outdoors,' he said. 

For example, he pointed to research observing Indigenous groups in North American Arctic communties after World War II, when schooling became mandatory for Inuit children. 

'Myopia rates for Inuit went from the single digits before the 1950s to upwards of 70 percent by the 1970s as all children began attending schools for the first time,' he said. 

Rates have also increased in western Europe, North America, and Australia, though not as sharply, Dr Herbert said. 'The two main factors identified as leading to increased myopia are increased reading and other activities that require focusing on an object close to one's eyes and a reduction of time spent outdoors,' he said. 

'But there appear to be two sure-fire ways to offset or delay these effects: Spend less time focusing on objects close to your face, like books and smartphones, and spend more time outside in the bright, natural light.'

'Given the first one is difficult advice to take in our modern age, the next best thing is taking frequent breaks – or perhaps spend more time reading and scrolling outside in the sun.'