Distance Learning Can Lead To Myopia In Children Optometrists Say

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Across the nation, the state and the county, children return to their in-home desks and small screen computers to tackle their next semester of learning. It is back to school, 2020 style, and according to one Orange County eye doctor, their vision is far from 20/20.

In March, screen time among the young increased across the board. Kids were forced to trade in-classroom instruction and outdoor athletics for Google Classrooms and video games with their friends. Months later, it's more likely that kids are staring at iPads, iPhones, or Chromebooks than playing outside.

Monitoring screen time has become almost a moot point for many parents, but for Orange County mom Luny Saritoh, too much screen time has left both of her children with a nearsighted diagnosis.

"Both my husband and I had perfect eyesight when we were younger," she tells Patch. "We never thought that both our kids would be nearsighted at such young ages."

The Saritoh children are just two cases among the 176,744 children in Orange County diagnosed with Myopia, nearsighted, or blurry distance vision.

Optometrists expect that number to grow to 224,465 by just 2030.

The rapid decline in her daughter's condition resulted in a prescription of "big and thick eyeglasses." At that point, she was just in the second grade.

"I felt so bad whenever I saw her tiny face covered by giant glasses," Saritoh tells Patch.

More than looks, their biggest worry was the rapid decline in her daughter's vision every year. "(Her vision jumped) from 1.75 to 3.25, and then to about 5.0 in the following year," she says.

The growth in Myopia cases is "due to more screen time and less time playing outdoors," according to Dr. Alvin Arellano.

Arellano leads the practice at Focal Point Optometry, one of two practices in Orange County, who has added an innovative new system to their practice to combat Myopia among the youngest generation.

"With the most recent pandemic, children were forced indoors for more than just social time, they had to finish school through virtual learning, putting their eye health at greater risk for myopia development," Arellano tells Patch. "We cannot urge enough to parents the importance of their child's eye checkup this year and seeking treatment as needed."

Both Focal Point Optometry in Fullerton and Insight Vision Center Optometry in Costa Mesa use the Treehouse Eyes system, specialized lenses the children wear overnight, to address treating Myopia in young patients.

While eye doctors usually prescribe glasses or contact lenses for kids with Myopia, they are only a temporary "fix" and do not adequately treat the underlying condition, Arellano says.

Dr. Valerie Lam, Insight Vision Center Optometry in Costa Mesa, agrees. Lam described the challenges parents face in dealing with a Myopia diagnosis.

"Myopia is an ever-growing epidemic, with now over 40 percent of kids over 12 years in the US needing some form of vision correction," Lam says. Myopia can be caused by either DNA or environmental factors, according to research.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are drastic changes with screen time that threaten the vision among young people.

"Screen time has increased at least three-fold, and kids don't have organized sports to keep them accountable to exercise and play outside," Lam says.

While distance learning, digital devices, and computers have become essential tools for children.

Knowing this, forewarned is forearmed for parents as the 2020/21 school year starts to get underway.

"The best thing to do is to set healthy boundaries when using these devices," Lam says.

When asked about how to combat the concerns of Myopia and other eye conditions, Lam laid out some suggestions.

"Optometrists like to use the 20-20-20 rule, which states that every 20 minutes on screens, you should take a 20-second break to look into the distance 20 feet away," she says. "This will give your eyes a visual break and prevent them from straining so much."

Posture is also of key importance as we return to distance schooling.

Set up a desk and chair for your child's workstation, rather than allow them to do schoolwork on the couch, bed, or on the floor.

"Be mindful of your child's posture and also working distance," she says. "Any screen should not be closer than 12 inches from their eyes."

Lam also employs the Treehouse Vision System, a patent-pending protocol that offers a customized treatment plan for Myopia, in her practice.

The system, according to Lam, helps give children a better vision for life.
Sarinoh's children are currently using the Treehouse Vision System to improve her children's vision issues. Thus far, it has been painless and enjoyable for the kids, she says.

"They can freely do their activities without having to worry about their glasses falling off or getting in the way," she says. "Our primary goal is, of course, to stop the steep increase in their prescriptions. So far, we are happy with the results in these past couple of years."

Even with the vision system's added tool, Lam suggests that outdoor play and monitored screen time still should be the rule and not the exception.

"We cannot stress the importance of outdoor play, and we recommend a minimum of at least one hour a day of outdoor time," Lam tells Patch. "Being outdoors instead of an enclosed space, will put the eyes in their most relaxed posture and will cause the least amount of accommodative strain on the eyes. Of course- don't forget the sunglasses!"

Some tips from the innovative eye doctors behind the Treehouse Vision System include:

• Increase Outdoor Time: 2-3 hours a day of free time outside are recommended. This was difficult with kids doing online school and will be again.

• Reduce Screen Time: While eliminating screens isn't practical, try to limit screen time and encourage frequent breaks.

• Proper Reading Tips: Some early studies suggest adjusting digital devices to have black backgrounds with white text. If your child reads in bed, laying on their back might be the best position to help minimize increasing Myopia.

• Get a Comprehensive Eye Exam: School and pediatrician vision screenings can miss up to 75% of vision issues in children. Taking your child to the eye doctor for a comprehensive annual exam is the best way to ensure your child's vision is optimal.

Regular eye exams with a professional are of crucial importance, regardless of whether they engage the Treehouse Vision system.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit o Insight Vision Center or focalpointoptometry.com

This article originally appeared on the Mission Viejo Patch