World Sight Day 2023 highlights middle-aged vision care

This year's World Sight Day placed a spotlight on the increasing need for comprehensive vision care, with a particular focus on the middle-aged population. The annual event serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining eye health, with this year's theme underscoring the vital role of eye care in the workplace.

Work takes up a significant portion of people's lives, and for middle-aged individuals, in particular, the strain on their eyes due to work-related activities is a growing concern. Prolonged screen time and the demands of their jobs contribute to eye fatigue, which can result in various vision problems, including nearsightedness, and even potentially causing premature presbyopia.

According to data, China is facing a substantial myopia challenge, impacting an estimated 600 million individuals. Over time, many of them will gradually begin to experience symptoms of presbyopia at the age of 38 and older. These symptoms can manifest as difficulties with reading, blurred close-up vision, the need to hold objects at a distance for clear visibility, eye fatigue, and more.

For many middle-aged individuals, such eyesight changes seem to occur unexpectedly, said Michael Knorz, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Heidelberg and senior vice-president of medical affairs at EuroEyes. He noted that individuals in this age group, particularly those who have long depended on lenses for myopia, are often among the first to seek clinical assistance.

"People do not really understand why they suddenly cannot read with their glasses anymore," he explained. "They have to be made aware that the lens inside the eye gets older and stiffer, and that prevents them from seeing clearly at close range."

Managing both myopia and presbyopia can be particularly challenging, especially when individuals find themselves needing both distance and reading glasses. According to Knorz, this situation is driving the demand for vision correction surgery.

"They really feel the need for surgery because they've been beaten twice — with the initial glasses and contact lenses, and then again when they age," he said.

As the demand for effective vision correction among middle-aged individuals continues to rise, public education and awareness campaigns play a crucial role in informing individuals about the impact of myopia and presbyopia, and the modern laser surgery solutions available.

He emphasized the need for increased public education on modern vision correction options available to middle-aged individuals.