Myopia's Impact Beyond Eye Health on an Individual

By: Bhavya Koneti

While commonly perceived as a vision-related issue, myopia can have impacts beyond eye health, affecting academic performance, mental well-being, and economic stability.

Multifaceted Impacts of Myopia

Academic Performance

Students with myopia may need help to see what's being presented on the board or screen in classrooms, affecting their ability to follow lessons effectively. Myopia might make it challenging for students to read books, notes, or text without corrective lenses, leading to eye strain, headaches, and difficulty concentrating on the material.

Ma et al. conducted a randomized trial among 20,000 children in Western China. The study revealed that children who were myopic and given free spectacles showed significant improvement in their mathematics test scores by the end of the school year. This finding highlights the considerable correlation between visual acuity and children’s school performance. (Ma et al.)

Psychological Impact

While myopia's academic implications are significant, its psychological impacts are equally profound. Uncorrected or poorly managed myopia might influence one's self-perception, social interactions, self-esteem, and overall mental health.

According to a study published in BMC Ophthalmology (2016) by Łazarczyk et al., girls and boys aged 13-14 with myopia are more likely to have anxiety as compared to their peers without any vision defects (Łazarczyk et al.). The study further implied that young adults with myopia are at higher risk for depression, low self-esteem, substance abuse, and bullying (Łazarczyk et al.).

Economic Impact

People with myopia often incur continuous expenses related to corrective measures, such as purchasing eyeglasses and contact lenses or undergoing refractive surgeries like LASIK. These initial investments in corrective aids are supplemented by recurring costs for replacements, upgrades, and maintenance, exacerbating the economic strain on individuals.

In addition to the economic burden associated on an individual level, there is also that strain on a societal level. The World Health Organization analyzes the economic impact by estimating the loss in world productivity caused by uncorrected myopic refractive error to be $268.8 billion and the cost of rectifying this issue to be $28 billion.

Conclusion

While myopia affects individuals on various fronts beyond mere eye health, the journey toward combating its multifaceted impacts begins with prevention. Taking simple proactive measures incorporating eye-friendly habits can alleviate the burden of myopia's adverse effects on individuals and contribute to a healthier, more productive society.

Works Cited

Chua, Sharon, and Paul J. Foster. “The Economic and Societal Impact of Myopia and High Myopia.” Springer eBooks, 2019, pp. 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8491-2_3.

Congdon, Nathan. “The Impact of Uncorrected Myopia on Individuals and Society.” PubMed Central (PMC), 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6688418/#B1.

How Can Myopia Impact a Child’s Overall Health? www.clarendonvision.com/our-blog/how-can-myopia-impact-a-childs-overall-health.html.

Ma, Xiaochen, et al. “Effect of Providing Free Glasses on Children’s Educational Outcomes in China: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.” The BMJ, vol. 349, no. sep23 7, Sept. 2014, p. g5740. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g5740.

Staff. “Lack of Glasses Costs Billions in Lost Productivity.” Review of Optometry, 15 July 2009, www.reviewofoptometry.com/article/lack-of-glasses-costs-billions-in-lost-productivity.