Myopia: Education hits the eyes

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MunichBookworms wear glasses - this prejudice seems to be confirmed: The longer someone invests in their education, the higher the likelihood that they will be nearsighted. But one can take countermeasures, according to the researchers from Mainz.

Reading secretly under the covers by flashlight - it used to be a surefire way to ruin your eyes. Myopia could actually have something to do with reading, found Dr. Alireza Mirshahi and his colleagues from the Mainz University Medical Center. They compared the level of education and quality of vision in 4,600 people aged 35 and 74.

Snakes in glasses with a university degree

The longer someone stayed in school and the higher their degree, the greater the likelihood of being nearsighted. In figures, this means: 24 percent of people who left school after ten years had problems with their long-distance vision. After 13 years of school it was already 35 percent. 53 percent of those who also had a university degree were nearsighted.

One in four is nearsighted

See flawlessly up close, but with increasing distance the view becomes blurred - every fourth person is nearsighted according to the professional association of ophthalmologists - and the trend is rising. "The nearsightedness is usually caused by a growth in length of the eyeball beyond the norm," explains the head of the study to . As a result, the images of objects that are further away are no longer displayed in the correct position on the retina, but just in front of it. Glasses or contact lenses help to see the image sharply again.

But where does the connection between ametropia and level of education come from? The researchers' explanation: The extent of the increase in length is not only determined by genetic factors, but also influenced by the environment. One possible stimulus for this growth is close work (e.g. reading or computer work), this assumption has been confirmed in animal experiments. This could probably also be transferred to humans.

Books to and from outside

Not everyone who values ​​education has to fear for their visual abilities right now. Because there is a simple means of counteracting this: close the books and go outside! "Studies from Asia have shown that outdoor activities can have a protective effect, especially for children and adolescents," says Mirshahi. How strong the effect actually is is still the subject of current research. (lh)

Source: Mirshahi A. et al. Myopia and Level of Education: Results from the Gutenberg Health Study; Manuscript no. 2013-797. article in press

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