The quiet expansion of myopia (or nearsightedness ) in all developed countries , with glasses that slow this type of vision disorder in children reported to be effective, offers hope for reducing what appears to be a major public health problem.
"Two years ago, Paul's teacher told us that he couldn't see anything written on the board in class," says Caroline Boudet, the mother of Paul and a writer in Nantes, in western France.

When Paul, accompanied by his parents, visited an ophthalmologist to check his condition, Paul was diagnosed with "great myopia", knowing that no one in the family faces this disorder in which the patient becomes unable to see things clearly from afar, due to the presence of a very large distance between the cornea and the retina. .

Then the doctor told them about a treatment, which is rather new glasses, which work to slow the deterioration of myopia. "Within a year, the result was positive because Paul's condition was stable," says Caroline Boudet.

These glasses, which are described as slowing myopia and have been sold in France for about two years, are based on combined technologies that correct visual disturbances but also slow down its deterioration in children with expandable myopia.

A study published in early April in the "Scientific Reports" magazine dealt with the development of a group of children wearing "Musmart" glasses, which were invented by the Japanese company "Hoya", within a period of six years. The study concluded that there was a slowdown in myopia and no "rebound effect" in children when they stopped wearing glasses.

Several other clinical studies have also demonstrated the effectiveness of the Styliste glasses, developed by the French company Essilor Luxottica, specifically noting that these glasses prevented children from losing more than one diopter from myopia, on average, over three years.

The glasses of the new generation work based on an innovative technology, as they are equipped with a set of fine lenses that aim to correct peripheral myopia, which is one of the characteristics of myopia, and thus slow down myopia.

The two optical innovation groups reported a slowdown in the expansion of myopia by an average of 60 to 67 percent, compared to traditional eyeglasses, when people wore their glasses for 12 hours a day.

Other specialized companies invested in the French market, such as the German company "Zeiss", which initially marketed its product in Asia.

These new glasses hold hopes for people with myopia, while current expectations indicate that half of the world's population will suffer from short-sightedness around the year 2050.

Researchers agree on the notion that among the factors that promote myopia are increased time people spend indoors, less exposure to natural light, and greater strain on near vision.

"We have tested many techniques to prevent myopia, but this is the first time that we are in front of an effective technique, and I am really amazed," says Claude Spieg-Chatz, President of the French Society of Ophthalmology.

She explained that she initially treats a child who suffers from nearsightedness by prescribing traditional glasses for him. "If his short-sightedness increases, I will quickly prescribe him new glasses," she says.

"These glasses constitute a great gain for children," says Jamie Chammas, an ophthalmologist in Strasbourg, adding, "We notice that myopia among those who wear these glasses increases less than half of what we expected."

However, the only obstacle in the matter is the price of these looks of about 180 euros, an amount that exceeds the price of traditional glasses by about 100 euros, while the guarantors do not fully cover them.

The general manager of "Hoya Vision Care" in France, Jean-Michel Lambert, believes it is necessary to adopt a better coverage system.

And last year, the Higher Authority for Health in France recognized a service provided by the eyewear department of the company, "Hoya Vision Care", considering it "simple".

In his defense of the need for the concerned authorities to bear the cost of the glasses, Lambert says that "every single diopter lost by the patient leads to an increased risk of future diseases, but if we slow the expansion of myopia, the cost will be less for society."

And when myopia is significant, i.e. exceeding -6 diopters, it leads to an increased risk of recording various damages (retinal detachment, glaucoma, early cataracts...), which may cause patients permanent visual disturbances.