Have you ever looked across Victoria Harbour and found the iconic skyline looking a bit blurry? You are not alone. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is so common in Hong Kong that we often dismiss it as a normal part of life. However, this condition is escalating into a public health crisis that demands our attention, especially when it comes to the next generation.
您是否曾經眺望維多利亞港，卻發現標誌性的天際線看起來有些模糊？您並不孤單。近視在香港非常普遍，以至於我們經常將其視為生活中的常態。然而，這種情況正在演變成一場需要我們高度關注的公共衛生危機，尤其是對於我們的下一代。
Here is a comprehensive look at why myopia happens, how to manage it, and why it has become a critical issue for Hong Kong.
以下我們將全面探討近視的成因、管理方法，以及為什麼它會成為香港的重大議題。
What is Myopia and Why Does It Happen?
什麼是近視？為什麼會發生？
Myopia is a refractive error where the eyeball grows too long from front to back, or the cornea becomes too steeply curved. Because of this structural change, light rays entering the eye focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it. This makes distant objects appear blurry, while close-up objects remain clear.1
近視是一種屈光不正的現象。當眼球前後軸生長過長，或者角膜弧度過彎時，進入眼睛的光線會聚焦在視網膜的前方，而不是直接落在視網膜上。這會導致遠處的物體看起來模糊不清，而近處的物體則保持清晰。1
The development of myopia is generally driven by two main factors: / 近視的發展通常由兩個主要因素引起：
Genetics: If one or both of your parents are myopic, your chances of developing it increase significantly.
遺傳因素： 如果您的父母其中一方或雙方都有近視，您患上近視的機率會大大增加。
Environmental Factors: Prolonged near-work (such as reading, studying, or staring at smartphones and tablets) and a lack of outdoor time are major culprits. Research suggests that natural sunlight stimulates the release of dopamine in the retina, which helps prevent the eyeball from elongating abnormally.2
環境因素： 長時間進行近距離工作（如閱讀、溫習、注視智能手機和平板電腦）以及缺乏戶外活動時間是罪魁禍首。研究指出，自然陽光能刺激視網膜釋放多巴胺，有助於防止眼球異常拉長。2
Symptoms and Diagnosis: How Do You Know?
症狀與診斷：如何得知自己有近視？
The symptoms of myopia are straightforward but can be easily missed in children who might not realize their vision is abnormal. Key signs include:
近視的症狀很直接，但很容易被兒童忽略，因為他們可能沒有意識到自己的視力異常。主要徵兆包括：
- Difficulty seeing distant objects (e.g., struggling to read the whiteboard at school or road signs).
難以看清遠處的物體（例如：看不清黑板上的字或路牌）。
- Squinting or partially closing the eyes to see clearly.
經常瞇起眼睛以試圖看清楚。
- Sitting unusually close to the television or holding screens very close to the face.
看電視時坐得異常近，或將屏幕拿得非常貼近臉部。
- Frequent headaches, eye strain, or eye rubbing.3
經常頭痛、眼睛疲勞或揉眼睛。3
Diagnosis is performed through a comprehensive eye examination by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. They use visual acuity tests (reading letters from a chart) and refraction tests to determine the exact prescription needed. For young children, doctors often use special eye drops (cycloplegics) to temporarily relax the eye's focusing muscles, ensuring a highly accurate reading.3
診斷需要由視光師或眼科醫生進行全面的眼科檢查。他們會使用視力測試（閱讀視力表上的字母）和驗光測試來確定準確的度數。對於幼童，醫生通常會使用散瞳劑（睫狀肌麻痺劑）來暫時放鬆眼睛的對焦肌肉，以確保驗光結果高度準確。3
Treatments and Management
治療與管理
While myopia cannot be "cured" or naturally reversed once the eyeball has elongated, it can be effectively corrected and managed:
雖然眼球一旦拉長，近視就無法「治癒」或自然逆轉，但它可以被有效地矯正和控制：
Corrective Lenses: Standard eyeglasses and contact lenses are the most common and accessible ways to refocus light directly onto the retina.
視力矯正鏡片： 一般眼鏡和隱形眼鏡是最常見且容易獲得的方法，能將光線重新聚焦在視網膜上。
Refractive Surgery: For adults whose prescriptions have stabilized (usually in their 20s), procedures like LASIK or SMILE can permanently reshape the cornea to correct vision.4
激光矯視手術： 對於度數已經穩定的成年人（通常在20多歲之後），可以選擇 LASIK 或 SMILE 等手術來永久改變角膜形狀以矯正視力。4
Myopia Control for Children: To slow the progression of myopia in developing eyes, specialists may prescribe low-concentration Atropine eye drops, specialized defocus glasses, or Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses—rigid contact lenses worn overnight to temporarily flatten the cornea.3
兒童近視控制： 為了減緩發育中兒童的近視加深速度，眼科專家可能會處方低濃度阿托品（Atropine）眼藥水、特製的離焦眼鏡，或角膜塑形軟鏡（OK鏡）——一種在夜間佩戴的硬性隱形眼鏡，能暫時壓平角膜。3
Why Myopia is a Major Issue in Hong Kong
為什麼近視在香港是一個重大問題？
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities globally and is notorious for having one of the highest rates of myopia in the world. Even before the pandemic, more than 40% of schoolchildren in Hong Kong were myopic by the age of eight.5
香港是全球人口最密集的城市之一，也是全球近視率最高的地區之一。即使在疫情爆發前，香港已有超過 40% 的八歲學童患有近視。5
The situation has drastically worsened in recent years. A landmark study by the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a "myopia boom." Lockdowns, school closures, and the shift to online learning resulted in a severe lack of outdoor time and an overreliance on screens. The study documented a staggering 2.5-fold increase in myopia incidence among children during the pandemic.5
近年來，情況急劇惡化。香港中文大學醫學院（中大醫學院）的一項標誌性研究顯示，COVID-19 疫情引發了「近視爆發期」。隔離措施、停課以及轉向網上學習，導致兒童嚴重缺乏戶外時間並過度依賴屏幕。研究記錄了疫情期間兒童近視發病率出現了驚人的 2.5 倍增長。5
Furthermore, a follow-up study in 2023 showed that the prevalence of myopia in children aged six to eight hit a record high of 36% after pandemic restrictions were lifted, with the rate specifically doubling in six-year-olds (from 13.9% pre-pandemic to 25.2%).6
此外，2023 年的一項跟進研究顯示，在防疫措施解除後，六至八歲兒童的近視率達到了 36% 的歷史新高，其中六歲兒童的近視率更是翻了一倍（從疫情前的 13.9% 飆升至 25.2%）。6
The Personal Impact: More Than Just Thick Glasses
個人影響：不僅僅是戴厚眼鏡
On a personal level, myopia is not just an inconvenience that requires you to update your prescription every year. High myopia (generally defined as -6.00 diopters or worse) significantly elongates the eyeball, heavily stretching the delicate tissues inside.
就個人而言，近視不只代表您每年需要更新眼鏡度數那麼簡單。深度近視（通常定義為 -6.00 屈光度/600度 或以上）會導致眼球嚴重拉長，並大幅拉扯眼內的脆弱組織。
This structural stretching puts individuals at a much higher risk for severe, sight-threatening eye diseases later in life, including:
這種結構性的拉扯會使患者在日後患上嚴重的、甚至威脅視力的眼疾的風險大大增加，包括：
Retinal Detachment: The thinned retina can tear and pull away from the back of the eye, requiring emergency surgery to prevent blindness.
視網膜脫落： 變薄的視網膜可能會撕裂並從眼底剝離，需要緊急手術以防止失明。
Glaucoma: Increased pressure in the eye that damages the optic nerve.
青光眼： 眼內壓升高，損害視神經。
Myopic Macular Degeneration: Deterioration of the central part of the retina, leading to irreversible central vision loss.5
近視性黃斑病變： 視網膜中心部分退化，導致不可逆轉的中央視力喪失。5
Conclusion
總結
Myopia is not just "a part of growing up" in Hong Kong; it is a progressive condition with long-term consequences for our visual health. By encouraging our children to spend more time outdoors, practicing the 20-20-20 rule (looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes), and attending regular eye check-ups, we can protect the vision of our next generation.
在香港，近視不應僅僅被視為「成長的一部分」；它是一種進行性疾病，會對我們的視力健康造成長遠影響。透過鼓勵孩子多花時間進行戶外活動、實踐 20-20-20 護眼法則（每看 20 分鐘屏幕，便遠眺 20 呎外的景物 20 秒），以及定期進行眼科檢查，我們才能好好保護下一代的靈魂之窗。