Eye expert links children's school-age vision decline to near-focus fatigue

ANBAR, Iraq — A eye diseases specialist has identified prolonged close focus as the leading cause of declining visual acuity among children during their school years, in a newly published study. Prof. Dr. Igor Aznuryan said children who spend extended periods looking at notebooks, books or phone screens experience elongation of the eyes as the visual system adapts to conserve energy, a condition referred to as "school myopia." He noted that this adaptation process takes several years, with limited effects in first-grade students. The professor said myopia is most commonly diagnosed in children between the ages of 7 and 9, when eye strain becomes more pronounced and the eyeballs adjust to the workload. By the time students reach eighth grade, more than half experience some degree of myopia, according to the study. Aznuryan also observed that families typically seek medical help only after a child's myopia has progressed to an advanced stage, having previously attributed early symptoms to ordinary fatigue. He listed signs that may indicate vision problems in school-age children, including squinting to read signs or bus numbers, leaning too far forward while reading, headaches in the evening and a gritty sensation in the eyes.