New Delhi: Lifestyle factors, especially growing digital dependency, are emerging as major contributors to increasing eye problems among both adults and children, experts said, stressing the need for more outdoor and physical activities to curb the trend.

Ahead of World Sight Day, observed on October 9 with the theme “Love Your Eyes,” ophthalmologists warned that neglecting eye health could lead to severe conditions, including blindness.

Dr Ajay Sharma, founder and CMD of Eye Q Hospitals, said there is growing concern about the rising number of children suffering from myopia (difficulty seeing distant objects). “Among the elderly, cataract and glaucoma are common. To address this, we are organising 20 free eye camps across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Gujarat, where over 1,500 people will receive free eye check-ups in a single day,” he said.

Dr Deependra Singh, medical director and head of retina services at Eye Q, said the risk of glaucoma increases after 40, especially for people with diabetes, a family history of the disease, or prolonged steroid use. “It's not enough to check your eyeglass number; you must also examine your eye pressure and retina. Glaucoma is difficult to treat and shows no early symptoms,” he cautioned.

Experts said increased screen time worsens eye strain and advised following the 20-20-20 rule—every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Myopia control glasses have also shown effective results, they noted.

Dr Sharma emphasised that parents must encourage outdoor play, ensure adequate lighting while reading, and provide a fruit-rich diet for healthy eyes.

According to WHO, 2.2 billion people globally have vision impairment or blindness, of which one billion cases were preventable. In South-East Asia, 50-60 per cent of the population has myopia, projected to rise to 90 per cent by 2050. A study by AIIMS Delhi's RP Centre found myopia rates in India increased from 7-10 per cent in 2010 to 17-20 per cent in 2018.