Today marks the 31st National "Eye Care Day" in China, under the theme "Eye Health for Everyone". The eyes are among the most vital organs for perceiving the world and receiving external information. Scientific eye care deserves attention across all age groups, and different life stages require tailored protection strategies.

Data shows that in recent years, the prevalence of myopia in China has remained high. Myopia has become a major public health issue affecting the nation's population, especially children and adolescents under 18.

In response to the demand for healthy vision, many products claiming to be "vision protectors" have emerged in the market. Is there really a shortcut to eye care? Which methods can truly prevent the onset and progression of myopia?

Ms. Peng recently encountered a worrying issue: she noticed her kindergarten child frequently squinting. After a hospital check, the child was diagnosed with myopia.

Ms. Peng: "He is about to enter first grade. When watching TV, he squints and sometimes tears up. I just got him glasses."

Currently, myopia among children and adolescents remains high. According to the National Health Commission, although the overall myopia rate among students has declined for four consecutive years, it still exceeds 50%.

Apart from genetic factors, environmental causes such as heavy near-work load and insufficient outdoor activity are the main contributors to the high incidence and earlier onset of myopia in Chinese youth. Dr. Zhang Ju, director of the Optometry Department at the Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, said prolonged reading, screen time, and insufficient indoor lighting can increase ocular strain. Daily adherence to the "20-20-20 rule" — every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds — helps reduce continuous near work.

Dr. Zhang Ju: "For example, children spending excessive time on digital devices, poor posture while doing homework, lack of outdoor activities, and even dietary habits like eating fried foods or sweets — all may accelerate myopia progression."

Experts recommend at least two hours of outdoor natural light exposure daily, strictly limiting screen time, maintaining the "one fist, one foot, one inch" reading posture, and undergoing regular vision screening to prevent myopia onset. Dr. Wang Kai, chief physician of Ophthalmology at Peking University People's Hospital, reminds parents to actively monitor vision changes if children frequently squint or tilt their heads when looking at things.

Dr. Wang Kai: "After age three, children should have regular vision exams including refraction assessment. Once children are cooperative, visual acuity and axial length measurements can be done. Generally, without special risk factors, checks every 3–6 months are sufficient. If both parents are highly myopic, axial length can be measured every three months."

Online marketing often promotes "vision-protecting gadgets", with some even claiming to achieve "axial length reduction" to cure myopia. However, experts warn that once myopia occurs it is irreversible. Clinical interventions include pharmacological or optical treatments to control myopia progression, but no cure exists for reversing myopia. Dr. Wang Ningli, chief physician at Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, explained that some children may develop pseudomyopia before actual myopia. This window period, if addressed by changing visual habits, can delay the onset of true myopia.

Dr. Wang Ningli: "Evidence from clinical studies supports low-concentration atropine in controlling myopia progression. Orthokeratology lenses and peripheral defocus spectacle lenses have scientific evidence for myopia control. Which one to use should be decided by a physician. So-called pseudomyopia is a precursor stage where axial length has not yet increased, but excessive accommodative spasm causes temporary nearsightedness. Pseudomyopia is a crucial window — we must reduce near work load, improve visual hygiene, and increase outdoor activity. These preventive measures are very important."

For adults, ocular conditions tend to be more insidious, with dry eye syndrome and asthenopia (eye strain) being common. Which bad habits affect corneal health? How can we prevent eye diseases in daily life?

Prolonged screen time is equally prominent in adults. "Dry, sore eyes and blurred vision after staring at screens" has become a typical occupational ailment. Prof. Yuan Jin, president of Beijing Tongren Hospital, noted that under normal conditions a person blinks many times per minute, evenly distributing the tear film over the ocular surface. However, when concentrating on computers or phones, blink rate decreases and incomplete blinks increase, leading to dryness, foreign body sensation, and soreness.

Prof. Yuan Jin: "Dry eye is a very common ophthalmic disorder. On one hand it's age-related — glandular secretion declines with age, reducing tear production. Thus middle-aged and elderly people are a high-risk group. However, clinically we now see more types related to lifestyle, especially digital screen use. Many white-collar workers are susceptible: air-conditioned environments accelerate tear evaporation, and intense screen focus reduces blink frequency, causing rapid tear film breakup."

Many people turn to "internet-famous eye drops" for dry eye relief, feeling a cooling sensation and temporary alleviation of redness and dryness. Experts caution that eye drops should be selected based on ingredients and indications; any ocular discomfort should be managed under medical guidance.

Prof. Yuan Jin: "Many trendy eye drops contain vasoconstrictors. They quickly reduce redness, but only treat symptoms, not the root cause. After 4–6 hours, a rebound vasodilation occurs, worsening eye redness, and long-term use aggravates dry eye signs and symptoms. The key is to understand the risk factors for dry eye, establish good living and visual habits, use artificial tears recommended by professional doctors, and never buy random drops. Mild dry eye can be effectively controlled with artificial tears for supplementation and lubrication."

Certain daily habits can also affect corneal health. Prof. Yuan reminds not to rub eyes with hands, and in summer avoid exposing eyes to external water sources such as untreated natural water bodies.

Prof. Yuan Jin: "When something gets into the eye or the eye itches, many people rub. This is dangerous because the corneal epithelium is very fragile. Rubbing can cause corneal abrasion. If pathogens like bacteria or fungi enter, they cause corneal inflammation. In summer, many enjoy nature, but external water may contain bacteria/fungi. Swimming can bring contact, and if there's micro-damage to the cornea, these microorganisms can cause infection. Therefore I recommend swimming only in regulated pools with goggles to minimize direct contact between water and the cornea."

The National Health Commission reports that during the 14th Five-Year Plan, China's eye health service system has continued to improve. Currently, about 98% of county-level hospitals have ophthalmology departments, cataract surgery is being acceleratedly decentralized to county hospitals, and early screening and diagnosis capabilities for blinding diseases such as retinopathy and glaucoma are steadily rising. The future will provide the public with life-cycle eye health coverage.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will focus on "the young and the elderly", refining the full-chain service of "prevention – screening – diagnosis – treatment – rehabilitation" for eye health. Prof. Yuan Jin revealed that the future will explore bringing eye health knowledge to schools, communities, villages, and families, realizing "Eye Health for Everyone".

Prof. Yuan Jin: "From birth to silver age, there are different types of common eye diseases at different stages. Focusing on key populations — the young and the elderly — we will prioritize prevention and control of refractive errors, cataracts, corneal diseases, glaucoma, fundus diseases, etc. We aim to create a full-chain system covering prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, establishing pathways and measures that cover the whole life cycle. This year we plan to conduct 100 representative authoritative science activities, 1,000 public welfare science tours covering prefecture-level cities, and over 10,000 grassroots-level eye health educational sessions so that everyone masters scientific eye care knowledge."

Supervisor: Wang Lei

Reporter: Du Ximeng

Editors: Xing Sixin   Executive Producer: Liu Liang