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We frequently see children wearing glasses at an early age. This is usually due to refractive errors. This is a condition where the image formed on the retina of the eye is neither sharp nor firm. As a result, the vision becomes blurred. What are the causes?
Faculty of Medicine (FK) lecturer at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Dr. Aryani Vindhya Putri, Sp.M., explained that this condition occurs due to lengthening or shortening the size of the eyeball. The longer the eyeball, the higher the minus will be. Conversely, the shorter the eyeball, the higher the plus will be. The length of the eyeball is mainly influenced by heredity. However, several other factors also contribute to the cause.
"The first is the overuse of gadgets. This activity can aggravate the occurrence of minus eyes," Aryani said.
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Nowadays, many children are given access to gadgets by their parents. In fact, according to research, children aged 0–2 years are not allowed to use gadgets. For those over 2 years old, gadget use should also be limited to a maximum of 2 hours per day.
"In addition, in order to avoid eye fatigue, don't forget to use the 'rule of twenty'. That is 20 minutes of looking at gadgets, then taking a 20-second break by looking at objects as far as 20 feet, or the equivalent of 5–6 meters. This is done to keep our eyes from becoming tense and tired," she said.
Another factor that causes a child to wear glasses from an early age is frequent reading in poor lighting. In these conditions, the eyes have to "force themselves".
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Therefore, Aryani advises parents to pay attention to their children's eye health. If your child starts to show signs of visual impairment, you should immediately see an ophthalmologist. Some of the signs are frequent squinting and rubbing of the eyes, reading at too close a distance and difficulty focusing due to poor vision.
"If the child's eyes are used to not seeing clearly, then the brain is not used to seeing clearly. If this is the case, it will cause lazy eyes in children. If they realize it too late, wearing any size glasses, their vision will not be maximized," he explained.
Finally, Aryani advised that if, based on the results of the examination, the ophthalmologist decides that the child should wear glasses, parents should not be afraid or discouraged. The use of glasses will prevent lazy eyes. "By wearing glasses, children are much more focused, their vision is also better, and their brains can continue to develop optimally," she concluded. (*dev/wil/fajr)
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