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Screen time is one of the factors linked to the trend Pittsburgh-area optometrist weighs in on alarming number of children becoming near-sighted Screen time is one of the factors linked to the trend
A'S. FOR YOUR HEALTH THIS MORNING IT'S AN ISSUE THAT IS GETTING WORSE. AND WORSE. AN ALARMING NUMBER OF CHILDREN WITH VISION PROBLEMS AS WE ALL KNOW, YOUNG EYES ARE STILL DEVELOPING. AND THERE ARE WAYS TO PREVENT THESE ISSUES AND EVEN CORRECT THEM. SO CARTER, I WANT YOU TO LOOK OUT THERE AT THAT AGE FOR ME. PLEASE JUST KEEP BOTH EYES OPEN. STARE AT THAT AGE, 13 YEAR OLD CARTER STRAWBERRY. OKAY. HAVE A LOOK RIGHT OVER HERE AT MY EAR, PLEASE. IS HERE TO CORRECT HIS VISION WITHOUT MY CONTACTS, I CAN BARELY SEE 3 OR 4FT. HE'S PART OF AN ALARMING NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO ARE BECOMING NEARSIGHTED. WE'RE SEEING KIDS DEVELOP IT AT FASTER PACES. WE'RE SEEING KIDS DEVELOP IT AT YOUNGER AGES. AND. AND IT SUPPORTS THE RESEARCH. THE RESEARCH IS REALLY INDICATING THAT WE HAVE A HUGE POPULATION SHIFT OCCURRING AT THIS EXACT MOMENT LEADING INTO THE FUTURE. DOCTOR SKINNER SAYS WHILE GENETICS DOES PLAY A ROLE IN MYOPIA OR NEARSIGHTEDNESS, RESEARCH NOW SHOWS THE RAPID INCREASE IS DUE TO A FEW THINGS KIDS SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING AT THEIR COMPUTERS, PHONES AND EVEN BOOKS FOR BOTH SCHOOL WORK AND FOR FUN KIDS NOT SPENDING ENOUGH TIME OUTSIDE IN THE NATURAL SUNLIGHT AND NOT FOCUSING THEIR VISION FAR AWAY. ALL OF THESE THINGS COMBINE TO PHYSICALLY CHANGE THE EYEBALL. ARE YOU SAYING THAT SOMETHING IN THE EYE IS CHANGING SHAPE? WELL, ABSOLUTELY. IN FACT, THE ENTIRE SHAPE OF THE EYE IS CHANGING. SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE EYE FRONT TO BACK. THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW MACHINE WHICH IS ABLE TO MEASURE CARTER'S EYEBALL TO MONITOR HOW QUICKLY IT'S CHANGING SO THEY CAN TAKE ACTION TO SLOW IT DOWN. NOW WE HAVE WAYS OF MEASURING WHAT A NORMAL GROWTH RATE SHOULD BE IN A PEDIATRIC POPULATION. WHO'S DEVELOPING JUST LIKE WE WATCH YOU KNOW, HEIGHT AND WEIGHT FOR AGE. WE ACTUALLY WATCH THE LENGTH OF THE EYE. WE WATCH THE THE VISION AT THE AGE FOR THE LENGTH OF THE EYE. OKAY, CARTER, BLINK ONCE AND ONE MORE TIME. AND THE GOOD NEWS HERE IS THERE ARE FDA APPROVED TREATMENTS TO STOP THE PROBLEM FROM PROGRESSING. SPECIAL CONTACT ACTS CAN SLOW DOWN THE EYE GROWTH RATE. THERE ARE DAYTIME LENS OPTIONS WITH SPECIAL OPTICS AND ALSO OVERNIGHT CONTACTS, WHICH CARTER WEARS THAT HELPS CHANGE THE SHAPE OF HIS EYES WHILE HE SLEEPS. CARTER'S ALREADY NOTICED A DIFFERENCE. I CAN SEE CLEARER AND FARTHER WITH THESE CONTACTS. SINCE YOU STARTED THE TREATMENT, IT'S BEEN BETTER. MHM. BETTER FOR FOR HIS BASEBALL SKILLS AND TRACK COMPETITIONS. BUT ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE HE'D LOVE TO BE A MILITARY PILOT SOMEDAY. DOCTOR SKINNER SAYS THERE ARE FOUR THINGS PARENTS SHOULD DO. LIMIT UP CLOSE TIME ON SCREENS TO JUST 30 OR 45 MINUTES BEFORE TAKING A BREAK. WORK IN GOOD LIGHTING CONDITIONS. PENS. SPEND AT LEAST TWO HOURS OF OUTDOOR TIME BEING EXPOSED TO NATURAL SUNLIGHT, AND SEEK EYE CARE ADVICE STARTING AT AGE 5 OR 6. SO ACTION CAN BE TAKEN IF NEEDED. AND DOCTOR SKINNER ALSO SAYS IN SOME CASES THERE ARE MEDICATIONS AVAILABLE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT KIDS, THOUGH, THAT THEY DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR PHONE AND THEIR TABLETS. IT'S NOT JUST SOCIAL, THOUGH. NOW YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR SCHOOL WORK ON IT SO THEY NEED TO RELAX THEIR EYES FROM THAT AND CHANGE THE FOCUS. IT'S A LOT TO SAVE THEIR EYES. THEY'RE DOING SO MUCH GOOD. THEIR PEDIATRIC AND ADULT, UH, OPHTHALMOLOGISTS UP THERE. BUT IT'S INTERESTING, AS YOU MENTIONED, IN SCHOOL, KIDS, WE USUALLY HAVE THE PEN AND PAPER AND NOW EVERYTHING. SO MUCH OF IT IS ON A TABLET. YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO SEND IT IN. SO YEAH, BUT THERE'S ACTION TO BE TAKEN AND IT CAN BE CORRECTED, SLOWED DOWN. SO IT'S IMPORTANT
The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Pittsburgh-area optometrist weighs in on alarming number of children becoming near-sighted Screen time is one of the factors linked to the trend
A recently discovered trend shows an alarming number of children are near-sighted.Pittsburgh's Action News 4 anchor Michelle Wright spoke with Dr. Jonathan Skoner, O.D., about the trend."We're seeing kids develop it at faster paces," Skoner said. "The research is really indicating that we have a huge population shift occurring at this exact moment leading into the future."Skoner said that while genetics does play a role in myopia or near-sightedness, research shows the rapid increase is due to a few things:Children spending too much time looking at their computers and phones for both schoolwork and for fun.Children not spending enough time outside in the natural sunlight.And children not focusing their vision far away.Skoner said those things can physically change the eyeball.He also shared information on some Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments to stop the problem from progressing:Special contacts that can slow down the eye growth rate.Daytime lens options with special optics.And overnight contacts that help change the shape of the eye while the patient sleeps.Skoner also said there are some medications available to help.
PITTSBURGH — A recently discovered trend shows an alarming number of children are near-sighted. Pittsburgh's Action News 4 anchor Michelle Wright spoke with Dr. Jonathan Skoner, O.D., about the trend. "We're seeing kids develop it at faster paces," Skoner said. "The research is really indicating that we have a huge population shift occurring at this exact moment leading into the future." Skoner said that while genetics does play a role in myopia or near-sightedness, research shows the rapid increase is due to a few things: Skoner said those things can physically change the eyeball. He also shared information on some Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments to stop the problem from progressing: Skoner also said there are some medications available to help. GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS