A study points out that prevalence of myopia – or shortsightedness/Nearsightedness,  as defined by the Association of Malaysian Optometrists (AMO) - varies across populations of different regions and ethnicities.

AMO describes myopia as a condition in which,  light is focused in front of the retina, resulting in blurred vision. It says that “shortsighted people can often see reasonably clearly at short distances, but will not be able to see distant objects clearly. “

The Worldwide Prevalence and Risk Factors for Myopia (Pan C-W, Ramamurthy D & Saw S-M) report published in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics , acknowledges that this eye condition is a “global public health problem leading to visual impairment and blinding complications”, with attributed high economic costs.

Meanwhile, studies found that ethnicity factors in the prevalence of Myopia, based on the differing variables, which also limit some aspects of the studies.

The above report shows several studies, including one that was undertaken in China, which reveals prevalence variations (amongst mainland Chinese and Taiwanese). In India, the higher prevalence of myopia in the rural Indian population findings attempt to relate it to the higher rates of “nuclear cataract in rural India leading to a myopic shift in refraction.”

Other surveys conducted amongst adults in Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Pakistani, Mongolia, and Indonesia also offer insights on which ethnic group presents

“ In population-based studies on children, the prevalence of myopia has been reported to be higher in urban areas and Chinese ethnicity, while, regional and racial difference is not so obvious in adult populations aged over 40 years, “ according to the worldwide prevalence report. It adds that “more time spent on near work, less time outdoors, higher educational level and parental history of myopia have been reported to increase the risk of myopia”.

A study by the Department of Optometry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia suggests that Malaysia’s myopia prevalence is also on the rise,  with the Chinese and Malays presenting varying prevalence rates .

The Association says that there is currently no cure for myopia except for corrective measures such as spectacles, contact lenses and refractive surgery that can provide good distance vision for myopia sufferers.

Caring for the eye

GlassesOnline, an online eye wear retailer is a fast rising online enterprise that promotes eye care and wear in Malaysia. Christopher Strauch, Managing Director of GlassesOnline sees a strong demand for eyewear in Malaysia, partly due to the increasing rate of Myopia incidence.

“Half of the Malaysian population is myopic. Due to the high rate of myopia in the population, demand for eyewear is forecasted to strongly increase, “ he says.

The market is still “underdeveloped and customers need to be better educated about their eye conditions,” he adds.

He likewise noted that the Health Ministry is stricter now in optometry competence, thus, GlassesOnline is currently building a “dedicated partnership build network of optometrists to help this trend towards qualified eyecare and support the efforts of the optometrist association.”

Malaysia is not the only eye care turf of the company. Strauch says that they also have expanded to the Singaporean and Hong Kong market in June 2013. “Both markets are showing good results and we are currently already in the midst of launching Australia as our next target market, “ he says.

Strauch also says that Myopia is “also affecting a growing part of the population in South East Asia, with a particularly strong growth amongst children.”

“Myopia can be easily diagnosed using standard eye exams given by an eye doctor. People who are nearsighted often complain about headaches, eyestrain, squinting or fatigue when driving, doing sports, or looking more than a few feet away. But this eye disorder is easily corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses and surgery. Refractive surgery can reduce or even eliminate your dependence on glasses or contact lenses.  

The most common procedures for myopia are performed with a laser, including photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), and corneal rings, “he says.

More than an eye candy

Currently, eyewear such as spectacles and lenses, are becoming fashion accessories too, more than they are required for corrective measures; or they do both functions for users.

This opportunity proves golden for Strauch when he started GlassesOnline -  on cyberspace.

“The initial idea came about in October 2012, after looking into interesting verticals in the ecommerce space. The following months have been spent on developing the website and reaching out to suppliers, until we commercially launched in January 2013.

Since then we have dedicated our time to establish the company in Malaysia and continuously improve the customer experience on the website through added functionalities, such as the prescription program for contact lenses, as well as an increasing product portfolio.”

However, it is not all smooth sailing in their business amidst the wave of competition with other bigger companies.

“With billion dollar companies such as Luxottica, it was a rocky path to get in contact with the right person and eventually sign the deal. But today we are proud to be the exclusive online partner for them in the Asian region. Next to the leading global eyewear supplier, we are working together with local suppliers and also managed to introduce new independent brands from Europe to the South East Asian market, such as Invicta, Breil, Palo Wood and Fiorucci. Overall we have a good mix of local, global and independent brands.”

His belief that their wide array of products could successfully permeate the Asian markets has given their company the push.  “I believe in the product and the market potential. There are many successful player in other markets, such as Europe and the US, but none yet across the Asian region. The region is forecasted to show the strongest growth patterns globally, due to its strongly increasing myopia rate. While the internet market in this vertical is still at an early stage, we are looking forward to help educating customers and innovating the market together with our partners,” he says.

GlassesOnline claims to have the largest collection of glasses and sunglasses with over 5,000 pairs online. “We wanted to be 100% sure that we source only authentic products and therefore decided to contact the brands headquarters in Europe directly,” he stresses.

He likewise underscores some of the benefits their shop offers. “If you find it cheaper anywhere within 30 days of your purchase, then we return the difference. We don’t consider ourselves as a discount website, but are very confident in our pricing strategy to assure best value for money to our customers,” he says.

GlassesOnline continues to enhance its online product range and services. “ Right now we are achieving building our trusted optometrist network, however also exploring options to build an offline presence by either teaming up with an existing player in the market or independently,” says Strauch.

Younger eyewear users

Strauch observes that myopia incidence is also growing among younger children, ages 12 years old below.

He says, citing a study, that “ the problem is being caused by a combination of factors, such as increased schooling hours and lack of outdoor light. “

 “Another reason for increased younger demographics, is the use of coloured contact lenses for aesthetic purposes, which can also be noticed amongst the spectacles segment which develops more and more into a fashion object”, he says, adding that there has been a growing demand for prescription glasses and contact lenses among the working demographic of 25-35 year olds, “which is increasingly exposed to PC related desk work. In this segment, the affluent consumers prefer to wear daily disposable contact lenses and are willing to spend more on these to enjoy higher convenience and better hygiene, “ he explains.

Strauch advices parents to help their children care for their eyes: “With a drastically increasing myopia rate amongst children, as a precaution, parents should assure exposure of between two and three hours of daylight, which can act as a counterbalance and helps maintain healthy eyes.”

He cautions that “exposure to light increases the levels of dopamine in the eye and this seems to prevent elongation of the eyeball”. “For children that already wear glasses, we still see many kids glasses in the market with plastic lenses, especially in the lower price range, “ he says.

“Our suggestion in not to save here and ensure that the glasses feature polycarbonate lenses, as these are more impact resistant and therefore safer for children. In the US this is already the standard for kids glasses, “ he concludes.
 Eyewear tips by GlassesOnline

Rule of the thumb with eyewear

Glasses today develop more and more into a fashion item for many. Accordingly knowing the right frame for your face and type is crucial to find the right item out of the many choices available in the market.

Ultimately it is important that you feel comfortable with your new look. Next you have to choose the right lenses for you. Lenses differ depending on your regular use and your refractive error. Today most lenses come in a multi hard coated option, i.e., already provide features such as anti-scratch and easy clean.

However you can opt for additional coatings to prevent from computer or night glare, as well as transition lenses that change their tinting level depending on the intensity of daylight.

Furthermore, depending on your eye condition and power level, you might need specific lenses with a higher index, in order to reduce the lens thickness, or progressive lenses to provide correction for near and farsightedness to avoid the need for reading glasses.

Contact lens that is right for you

The decision to choose the right contact lenses, is dependent on many factors, such as your refractive error, how frequent you wear them and the convenience level you expect. Recent trends show that more and more people opt for daily disposable lenses, as these don’t need to be cleaned and offer an easy option to swap between glasses and contact lenses. Also depending on your eye condition, you might have to opt for special lenses.

Most lenses available in the market (soft/hard, daily/monthly, etc.) correct for nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia).

People with blurred vision (astigmatism) need toric lenses, which provide different refractive powers on the vertical and horizontal orientations to address the specific peculiarity that causes astigmatism.

Since toric contact lenses have a particular orientation, fitting them to your eyes is even more important than usual. If you are suffering from presbyopia, an age-related loss of close-up vision which typically occurs around the age of 40, you need bifocal or multifocal contact lenses. Bifocal lenses have two prescriptive powers for distance and near vision, which can reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses. Multifocal contact lenses are also available with additional variations in power to correct near, intermediate, and far vision.

Regardless of which type of lenses you require, contact lenses are being considered a medical advice and you should evaluate together with your eye doctor the best fit for your eyes.

Catching the new style trends

Styles change frequently depending on the latest fashion trends. This year we see three main trends, which are retro (especially round shapes from the 1920s), colourful frames (many supplier includ bold colours for their frames as well as lenses), and the classic bold black frames. In terms of material, acetate is still leading the race, especially with full-rim frames currently dominating the market.

source:mjnenews