Average Lifespan Reaches 90, 'Unprecedented Long Periods of Blindness' Loom

Most individuals believe that wearing glasses or undergoing refractive surgery cures myopia. However, Dr. Kim Sung-soo, an ophthalmology professor at Severance Hospital and president of the Korean Myopia Society, emphasizes that these treatments only correct vision, not the disease itself. He notes that while people meticulously track their weight or waist size, few accurately know their eyeglass prescription or, more critically, their axial length, a key factor in blindness risk.

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Many patients think myopia is cured when they wear glasses or get vision correction surgery. However, only the vision is corrected, not the disease itself.

South Korea faces a high prevalence of myopia, with rates reaching 80-90% among adolescents in the Seoul metropolitan area. Despite this, myopia is often perceived as a minor inconvenience rather than a progressive disease where the eyeball elongates. This elongation thins the retina and optic nerve, potentially leading to serious conditions like myopic macular degeneration, retinal detachment, and glaucoma. These conditions can cause irreversible vision loss.

With average life expectancies nearing 90 years, individuals experiencing vision loss in their 60s or 70s face decades of living with visual impairment. Dr. Kim warns that the "bill for myopia is now coming due" as lifespans extend. The situation is projected to worsen for younger generations, with nearly 90% of men under 20 having myopia a decade ago, now entering middle age.

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The average lifespan is increasing, and we may experience 'long periods of blindness' that we have never experienced before.

While environmental factors like reduced outdoor activity are identified as key causes of myopia, South Korea lags in public health initiatives. Unlike countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, which actively monitor and manage childhood myopia, South Korea largely views it as a personal issue. Dr. Kim advocates for a paradigm shift, urging that myopia be recognized as a chronic, lifelong condition akin to diabetes or hypertension, requiring continuous monitoring and management throughout an individual's life.

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The bill for myopia is now coming due.