5.9.2022
The most common eye defects are nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, and astigmatism. Due to lifestyle, the number of myopic people in the population is increasing. Up to a fifth of Czechs have poor distance vision. According to the latest scientific studies, this number could increase by up to half within 30 years.
Ophthalmologists record a significant increase in myopia. They consider long-term and frequent looking at monitors or displays the most common cause. The permanent focus of vision near and at one distance is neither natural nor healthy for the eyes. “Myopia is an eye defect that manifests itself in blurred distance vision. It is corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. That is done either with a laser or by implanting an intraocular lens. Primarily as a result of excessive close-up work on computers, tablets, and mobile phones, the number of myopic people is expected to increase in the future. The number of children with myopia is also increasing worldwide. Currently, myopia occurs in approximately 15 to 20 percent of schoolchildren,” said Pavel Stodůlka, chief surgeon of the Gemini Eye Clinics network.
Another of the frequently occurring vision defects is farsightedness. In contrast to myopia, this manifests in good distance vision and poor near vision. An interesting fact is that all babies come into the world with farsightedness. However, with healthy vision development, the defect will correct itself through growth. In adulthood, eyeglasses or contact lenses can solve the problem. Laser correction of diopters or implantation of intraocular lenses is also suitable for farsighted patients.
Astigmatism affects around ten percent of the population. This eye defect often occurs so-called combined with nearsightedness or farsightedness. People see both up close and far away blurry and out of focus, which is caused by the incorrect curvature of the cornea. Contact lenses can only be corrected exceptionally, which is why most patients with astigmatism choose cylindrical lenses in glasses or laser eye surgery.
After the age of 40, presbyopia begins to appear. It is called the “disease of short hands”. “Presbyopia is an eye defect related to the aging of the organism, and therefore the eye. It manifests itself as a decrease in the ability of the lens to focus at close range after age 40, so the person in question needs to move the text away from his eyes when reading,” added Pavel Stodůlka.
