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Myth or Real - Myopia progression?

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Myth or Real - Myopia progression?
#1
Well, my myopia seemed to get progressively worse for a year before I got glasses (at the age of 10), and definitely continued to get worse for the next three years even though I wore glasses minimally during that time. But that is just me; it is certainly possible that some people who started out only slightly myopic wouldn't have gotten worse if it had been left alone. I will add that my vision remained good enough to see the computer screen without extreme squinting or leaning forward, until shortly after I started wearing contacts on a daily basis. And at that point I rarely used my home computer with contacts in, as I usually took them out right after school, so it wasn't a matter of just becoming accustomed to a longer distance. I suspect that my nearsightedness wouldn't have passed that point had I continued to only wear glasses when necessary, but of course I have no way of proving that.
Reply
#2
Dear Mid Cowboy,

Subject: Fact and science about the natural eye's proven behavior.

Re: Since EVERY WORD I SAY WILL BE CONTRADICTED BY A MAJORITY-OPINION OD --
I will present science (Bates and others) as the Second-opinion.

Quote:I was just wondering about the progression of myopia and what other people know about this.

Otis> Scientists (second-opinion) know a great deal. Once you get down to 20/50, (about -1 diopter) and
are in the 4th grade (let us say), your refractive STATE will go DOWN at a rate of
from -1/2 to -8/10 diopter per year. In high school this slows down to about -1/2 diopter per
year. In college, down about -1/3 diopter per year. You can expect the majority-opinion OD
to totallly deny these scientific facts -- and I think you know why they will.

Quote:I was under the impression that if left without minus lenses, the eyes would maybe get a little worse or a little better - but not drastically worse.

Otis> In a school enviroment? (In an "open" environment the eye simply does not go down.). But, the indications are that they
eye will go down -- but at a much slower rate if you avoid the minus as much as possible. (Second-opinion statement.)

Quote:Is this true, or does it differ between children, teenagers and adults?

Otis> See above.

Quote:Could it be true what doctors say - once myopia starts, the input of glasses makes no difference to the progression at all?


Otis> Please do not imply "all doctors". Say majority-opinion "doctors" and you would be correct. The second-opinion doctors
believe that the over-prescribed minus increases the rate at which your eyes go DOWN.

Quote:!(I doubt this but have studies been done?)


Otis> Again, this depends on WHICH studies you pay attention to -- and take seriously. The majority-opinion
ODs ignore ALL STUDIES that shows the real problem with the minus lens.

Just my second-opinion,

Otis
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#3
mid15cowboy Wrote:I was just wondering about the progression of myopia and what other people know about this.

I was under the impression that if left without minus lenses, the eyes would maybe get a little worse or a little better - but not drastically worse. Is this true, or does it differ between children, teenagers and adults? Could it be true what doctors say - once myopia starts, the input of glasses makes no difference to the progression at all?!(I doubt this but have studies been done?)

As you can imagine, it is difficult to find myopic subjects willing to not wear glasses for several years in order to carry out that kind of study. Every myope first becomes myopic while not wearing minus lenses, so it is unlikely that minus lenses cause myopia. Most myopes who are corrected with minus lenses will progress for a few years then stop progressing, usually progression stops at age 16 to 25, when growth stops. It is rare to find myopes progressing from age 20 to 40. Many of them actually have a decrease in myopia while wearing minus lenses from age 35 to 50.

From animal studies, correcting existing myopia with minus lens does not result in progression. A few studies have been done with subjects using less power than needed ie using lower power minus lenses. In those studies the undercorrected either progressed faster than or at the same rate as the fully corrected. And a few studies have been done with non myopic children wearing minus lenses (to correct a eye muscle problem) for up to nine years. Despite wearing unneeded minus, those children did not progress.

Hundreds of studies of the prevalence of myopia and changes over time in various populations have been done.
If you go to PubMed ( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed</a><!-- m --> ) and search for citation 12147586 (just type that number in the search box) you will find one such study. Then click on "related links" and you will find many more.

Quote: It seems to me, that glasses are a little unnatural for humans, but are probably due to being in front of the computer/books too much. Seems then, that maybe a week spent outdoors, looking in the distance would best help these children. Education is important but not as important as good eyesight. What do you think

There is a correlation between higher IQ, higher education and myopia. What is not known is whether having myopia causes higher IQ, vice versa or if some third, as yet unknown factor, causes both. I would not agree that education is less important than not needing glasses. I would rather be highly educated with a comfortable lifestyle in a good paying interesting job wearing glasses than poorly educated, barely getting by in a poorly paid boring job without glasses.

Judy
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#4
Subject: If your Snellen is 20/50 -- how difficult to "go with no minus lens?"

Judy is a majority-opinion OD. She has her opinion and we all enjoy hearing it -- so
we can learn from it. Smile

But some statements she makes are not reasonable -- of contain assumptions that
should be checked.


Quote:Judy> As you can imagine, it is difficult to find myopic subjects willing to not wear glasses for several years in order to carry out that kind of study.

Otis> You might recall that Professor Bates ran a study in 1913, where the kids Snellen was in the 20/60 to 20/80 range.
He had NO PROBLEM convincing them that they should NOT be wearing an over-prescribed minus lens -- but
instead should be reading their Snellens and clearing it back to normal.

Otis> Which of course they did.

Otis> So I suggest that Dr. Bates had not problem conducting that kind of second-opinion scientific study. Smile

Enjoy,

Otis
Reply
#5
otis Wrote:
Quote:Judy> As you can imagine, it is difficult to find myopic subjects willing to not wear glasses for several years in order to carry out that kind of study.

Otis> You might recall that Professor Bates ran a study in 1913, where the kids Snellen was in the 20/60 to 20/80 range.
He had NO PROBLEM convincing them that they should NOT be wearing an over-prescribed minus lens -- but
instead should be reading their Snellens and clearing it back to normal.

Otis> So I suggest that Dr. Bates had not problem conducting that kind of second-opinion scientific study.

Not sure why you call it second opinion scientific study, in science one does not have an opinion until after the data is in.

In 1913 there were no human research review boards and informed consent requirements; the children had to do what their teacher told them. And we don't know if the children Bates worked with had minus lenses or even if they were myopes. His study recorded only their unaided acuities, not refractive error.

Today, ethical research would require informing the subject and parents that vision could be improved with glasses and that they must go blurry in order to be enrolled in the study. If you want to fund a researcher to repeat Bates' 1913 study and can find willing subjects, no one is preventing you from doing so.

Judy
Reply
#6
Dear Dr. Judy,

Sorry, Judy -- I do not have the money.

The person is expected to know how to read his Snellen -- and clear
it by the Bates methods.

As so many of these posters are doing on imagination-blindness.

Second-opinion best,

Otis
Reply

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