No More Nerdy Glasses with These Clinically Proven Non-Invasive Methods!

We’re sorry for the scientific jargon and numbers in this blog, but we wanted to make sure our information was accurate. We hope it didn’t make your brain hurt too much!

Go outdoors and play!

An international team of researchers conducted a study in China – the country reportedly is heavily affected by nearsightedness. They aimed to evaluate if increasing the time children spent outdoors at school could prevent the development of nearsightedness. Over a period of 3 years, the study added 40 minutes of outdoor activities for six schools and kept the activity levels unchanged for another six schools. The results showed that the children who spent more time outdoors had a lower incidence rate of nearsightedness. This study highlights the potential effectiveness of outdoor activities as an intervention to prevent nearsightedness in children. Citation: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.10803

Eye drops: low-concentration atropine

A study conducted in Hong Kong evaluated the effectiveness of low-concentration atropine eye drops in delaying the onset of myopia in children aged 4 to 9. The study administered eye drops of either 0.05% atropine, 0.01% atropine, or a placebo to the children for two years. Results showed that the group given 0.05% atropine had a significantly lower incidence of myopia and a lower percentage of participants with fast myopic shift compared to the placebo group. However, there was no significant difference between the 0.01% atropine and placebo groups. The study highlights the potential efficacy of low-concentration atropine eye drops for delaying the onset of myopia in children. Eye doctors are waiting to see the long-term safety and efficacy data. Citation: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.24162

What is atropine? Atropine is a medication commonly used to dilate the eye’s pupils for specific medical procedures. It works by blocking a chemical in the body that causes muscles to contract, and this can have different effects on the body depending on the dose and route of administration. In some cases, atropine can be used to treat other medical conditions, such as heart problems, but it can also have side effects and should only be used under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

Low-level red-light therapy

A new treatment called repeated low-level red-light therapy (mimicking the beneficial effects of sunshine) is studied for nearsightedness control. In a clinical trial with 112 children, those who received the red-light therapy had significantly less nearsightedness progression than those who used a sham red-light device with only 10% power. The low-level red-light therapy was administered at home and was well-tolerated with no reported adverse effects. The results suggest that low-level red-light therapy could effectively and safely control nearsightedness progression in children. Citation: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.08.024