Millions suffer from myopia, but black and white turn helps

About 43% of the German population suffers from myopia. Scientists have now found the causes of myopia. A simple but effective way to prevent myopia is to read inverted text, that is, white text on a black background.

Reading makes you smart, but it also leads to myopia. The so-called myopia actually increases with increasing levels of education. Thus, every second cycle of high school in Germany is short-sighted and, every year, the average training is a quarter of diopter. Already today, about 43% of the German population is short-sighted. A research team from the Tübingen University Hospital has now discovered what causes myopia

Those who read a lot become myopic

Besides genetic predisposition, lack of outdoor living and reading are the main causes of myopia. In particular, it is the normal print image: dark letters on a light background. In myopic patients, the sharp image in the eye appears in front of the retina. The picture is blurry. The reason is an overgrowth of the eyeball.

Scientists, led by Andrea Aleman, have discovered a link between this growth and some visual cells. Namely, the so-called ON cells decide if the target image in the middle is clearer and the environment darker.

Conversely, OFF cells evaluate whether the center is darker and the environment brighter. If we read text printed in black on a light background, OFF cells are particularly stimulated.

Myopsy comes from the growth of the eyeball

Based on previous animal experiments, researchers knew that the eyeball develops as soon as the OFF cells are stimulated. A test on human subjects confirmed this theory. The test readers each received a black text on a light background and a white text on a black background, called inverted text.

Subsequently, researchers measured the thickness of the choroid in the participants' eyes. Changes in this layer behind the retina provide information on the future growth of the eyeball.

When reading the normal print image, the thickness of the cloth layer increased by nine microns. This means that myopia has already developed. Otherwise, with inverted text, the thickness decreased by 16 microns.

Inverted Text Can Inhibit Myopia

Therefore, changing screen colors for PC or smartphone could prevent myopia in the future. Aleman says, QUOTE, "Our data suggests that reverse text contrast reading could be a simple but effective way to inhibit myopia."

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