Increasing refractive errors in students

At An Loc A Primary School, Binh Long Town, the number of students with refractive errors, especially myopia, is increasing. More worryingly, many students have myopia from a very early age and the degree increases rapidly with each school year. Nguyen Quang Anh, a 5/1 grade student, said: Before I had glasses, my distance vision was very blurry; when I studied, looking at the board, projector, and doing other activities was very difficult, so I had to wear glasses. In 2nd grade, my nearsightedness was only 2 degrees, but in 5th grade it increased to 4 degrees.

Many students have refractive errors, affecting their studies and daily activities.

Ms. Phan Thi Ngoc Mai, Vice Principal of An Loc A Primary School, shared: “This year, the total number of students with eye diseases increased by more than 7% compared to last year. The school has arranged classrooms with adequate light and ventilation, and instructed students to sit in the correct posture. In addition, every year the school coordinates with the local health sector to examine students’ eyes to help parents see the disease, coordinate with the school in treatment and remedies, helping students study and live better.

An Loc Secondary School, Binh Long Town currently has more than 1,200 students, of which nearly 260 have refractive errors, mainly myopia. This number has increased significantly in the past 3 years and some students have 4-5 diopters of myopia. Dang Ngoc Thuy Nhu, a student in class 9A1, said: I have been nearsighted since grade 6, because during that time I studied online quite a lot. Currently, each eye is quite nearsighted, which also affects my studies to some extent, making it inconvenient to move around, especially when participating in physical games such as volleyball, badminton, etc.

Parent Nguyen Thi Thanh said: At first I didn't pay attention, until my child spoke with tired eyes, sore eyes, and couldn't see clearly, I took her to the doctor and she was already 2 diopters nearsighted. Now my child is only in 6th grade but already has to wear glasses. I am very worried about my child's eye health.

There are many reasons for the increase in refractive errors in students, including inappropriate daily living habits and lack of outdoor activities. Stressful studying, long exposure to electronic devices, incorrect reading and sitting posture, and poor lighting in the learning environment are all reasons for the increase in eye diseases.

Specialist Doctor II Le Van Giang, Head of the Ophthalmology Department, Provincial General Hospital said: The rate of refractive errors in Binh Phuoc province is currently very high, especially myopia, mainly among school-age children. If refractive errors are not detected early and timely intervention measures are taken, they can increase rapidly, seriously affecting vision later. To prevent refractive errors in students, I recommend that they sit in the correct posture when studying, the classroom must have enough light, especially using natural light is best. When using phones and computer devices, the distance from the screen to the eyes is 30-35cm, the same as the distance from the eyes to a book; when traveling by car, you should not use phones or computers. You need to supplement vitamins, eat a lot of foods, red fruits and green vegetables to increase vitamin supplements for the eyes.

Students are taken by their families for regular eye check- ups .

Protecting healthy eyes requires the cooperation of families, schools, society and students themselves. Reducing the time spent using electronic devices, keeping a reasonable distance when reading, ensuring classroom lighting, increasing outdoor activities and regular screening are important measures to prevent the increase in refractive errors.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/9/171852/gia-tang-tat-khuc-xa-o-hoc-sinh