Outdoor Activity Reduces Incidence of Nearsightedness
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 40 percent of 6-year-old children who did not spend extra time outside developed nearsightedness, while only 30 percent of children who spent 40 minutes outside each day developed nearsightedness. And those children who did spend 40 minutes outside each day had less severe prescriptions for nearsightedness.
The study followed children for three years in Gangzhou, China, who benefited from the an additional outdoor activity every day.
Nearsightedness, explains Dr. Mark Whitten, is the ability to see close objects more clearly than distant objects and is called myopia. The condition in young adults is at epidemic levels in some urban areas of East and Southeast Asia, afflicting 80 to 90 percent of high school graduates. While slower, myopia appears to be spreading among persons of European and Middle Eastern origin, according to the article.
The study by Mingguang He, M.D., Ph.D., of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, and colleagues is gathering interest for the condition of nearsightedness which currently has no known intervention for preventing onset.
However, nearsightedness, and other vision conditions, can be corrected with Lasik. Whitten Laser Eye has performed more than 130,000 corrective procedures.
Dr. Mark Whitten has practiced ophthalmology in the Washington, D.C., area for more than 30 years, and has built a national reputation for excellence in eye care. By remaining at the forefront of technological advances, he is able to achieve the very best vision results for his patients through laser eye surgery procedures, including LASIK, cataract procedures, and implantable contact lens procedures, as well as general ophthalmology consultations.
Dr. Mark Whitten has worked with many professional athletes, celebrities, and politicians. The greatest compliment that Dr. Mark Whitten receives is when his patients refer their families and friends to experience the same high quality and caring approach.
While the JAMA article notes that more research and studies are needed to confirm findings of preventative methods to reduce nearsightedness, Dr. Mark Whitten can correct many cases of nearsightedness today.
Visiting Dr. Mark Whitten and the team at Whitten Laser Eye is simple. Located at 37767 Market Drive, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622, Whitten Laser Eye is convenient no matter where you are coming from. To make an appointment please call (301) 825-5755.
