Violet Light and Nearsightedness

Nearsightedness, or myopia, is a big deal here in the U.S as well as worldwide.  It is estimated that roughly 50% of young adults in the U.S and Europe are myopic, which is double that of a century ago.  Furthermore, approximately 96% of 19 year-old men in Seoul, Korea are nearsighted!  The incidence of myopic and its progression is on the rise and some doctors are even calling it an epidemic.

There are many theories as to what is causing this rapid rise in myopia as well as how to slow it down.  In fact, I get asked that question a lot from parents who’s children’s vision gets worse every year (or sooner).  Mounting evidence is showing that exposure to bright light and time spent outdoors plays a role in slowing down myopia progression.  A study just published in EBioMedicine divided myopic children into three groups: one group wore glasses that completely blocked violet light (VL), one group wore contact lenses that partially blocked VL, and the third group wore contact lenses that did not block VL.  The data showed that the third group had the least amount of myopia progression, suggesting that violet light can be preventative against the worsening of nearsightedness.  So, as parents, let’s try to get our kids exposed to some natural daylight on a daily basis.  And, as an aside, daylight also helps regulate our circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle).

A “Blast” from my Past

I saw this picture posted on Facebook and had to share it.  This was one of the coolest playground slides around when I was a kid .  It was located at the Loesche School playground at Bustleton Ave.  and Tomlinson Rd. in Northeast Phila.  If you were afraid of heights, it was pretty scary to climb all the way to the top because it was about 2 stories tall.  I remember some hotshot older kids used to climb up on the OUTSIDE!.  Too bad it isn’t there anymore.

And lastly, some humor

Two hillbillies walk into a bar. While having a shot of whiskey, they talk about their moonshine operation. Suddenly, a woman at a nearby table, who is eating a sandwich, begins to cough. After a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she is in real distress.
One of the hillbillies looks at her and says, “Kin ya swallar?”  The woman shakes her head no.  “Kin ya breathe?” The woman begins to turn blue and shakes her head no. The hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up the back of her dress, yanks down her drawers and quickly gives her right butt cheek a lick with his tongue. The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm and the obstruction flies out of her mouth.
As she begins to breathe again, the hillbilly walks slowly back to the bar.  His partner says, “Ya know, I’d heerd of that there ‘Hind Lick Maneuver,’ but I ain’t never seed nobody do it!”