Health has long been a marker by which people gauge the quality of their lives, so emerging evidence of the epidemic in myopia is an issue that will gather increasing significance for the profession.
The idea that health has overtaken wealth as a marker of lifestyle quality is a modern one. ‘Salus populi suprema lex esto’, has long been a proud boast of forward thinking law makers and adorned the crests of civic authorities. Modern life, and the culture of a cure for everything, has blunted people’s action on issues such as obesity; but perhaps there are exceptions.
Myopia may be different.
Those who take little action to protect their own health, say through healthy eating and exercise, may be surprisingly keen to protect the vision of their offspring. Enquiries from parents and grandparents wishing to discuss the options for slowing myopia in children are not uncommon. In the Far East, where myopia is virtually universal in certain groups, the pushy parent effect has been noted.
Epidemics are generally feared by the population but my guess is that the myopia epidemic will split the audience. The majority will be banging on the doors of their local optician more regularly and in greater numbers. A smaller number, of unhappy myopes, will want to understand the options for their children and they will expect you, as eye care professionals, to be acquainted with the choices open to them.
One thing is for sure. Given myopia is inherited its growth in the UK is sure to accelerate, as will its importance to the profession.
