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The Outdoors Shown to Significantly Reduce Risk of Visual Impairment

Posted on July 15, 2014 in Eye Health Research 0
A series of studies in 2009 revealed that spending time outdoors for even 20 minutes a day can help people get out of the sluggish zone and have a “greater sense of vitality”. Fast forward to today, several new studies have also revealed that spending more time outside in nature can significantly reduce one’s risk of experiencing visual impairment. 1st Study: Class Recess Outdoors Reduces Nearsightedness in Children A study done by researchers in Taiwan found out that allowing children to spend their recess time outdoors reduced their risk of nearsightedness. Here’s the conclusion of the study lifted from the abstract: Outdoor activities during class recess in school have a significant effect on myopia (nearsightedness) onset and myopic shift. Such activities have a prominent effect on the control of myopia shift, especially in non myopic children. 2nd Study: Longer Days Reduce Progression of Nearsightedness in Children A second study done in Danish children found out that the risk of myopia (determined through eye elongation) in the youngsters are greatly reduced during longer days. Here are excerpts from the study's abstract: Objective Because of the northern location of Denmark, the length of the day over the year varies from 7 to 17.5 hours. Experimental and clinical results suggest that the development of myopia may be related to ambient light exposure. The purpose of current study was to investigate whether axial eye growth, myopia progression, or corneal power change in Danish myopic children varies with the length of the day. Conclusion Eye elongation and myopia progression seem to decrease in periods with longer days and to increase in periods with shorter days. Children should be encouraged to spend more time outside during daytime to prevent myopia. Not Just For the Eyes But Also For Your Overall Health Apart from its positive effect on your vision, spending more time outdoors also have the following health benefits: In addition to spending more time in the outdoors,  it pays to visit your eye care team regularly for routine eye check-ups. The Mountain View Medical Center is manned by ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians! We offer a state-of-the art medical center with a warm friendly staff working together to care for our patients.We understand how important visual performance and eye health are for a person’s quality of life, and we strive for excellence in providing complete eye care needs. Get in touch with us today by calling (907) 328-2920 or by filling out this contact form! We look forward to your visit!  
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