Essay Sample on Myopia and ADHD

Introduction

High myopia is the medical condition that impedes the ability of people to see beyond a certain distance. Researchers have established that high myopia could lead to other diseases such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataracts. However, little research has been done on the effects of high myopia on the psychological wellbeing of the children. Studies by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham have shown that high myopia among children may be related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) within the same group (Pope, 2016). Additionally, children with learning disabilities have shown consistent visual impairment, particularly myopia. Despite the indicators, few researchers connect myopia to ADHD or learning disability. The purpose of this research is to identify the relationship between high myopia in children before starting school and the development of ADHD or learning disability.

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According to Young (2009), myopia is the most common human eye disorder in the world. High myopia carries an increased loss of visual loss in both adults and children. In children, the condition hurts the children's ability to learn due to visual disabilities. High-myopia is one of the two types of disease that affects visual ability. There are juvenile-onset myopia and high-grade myopia which forms the center of this discussion. Young (2009) has also identified the correlation between high myopia and other health conditions such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, and cataract. High myopia results from the excessive growth or elongation of the globe. The elongation of the world may occasionally be accompanied by degenerative changes in the sclera, choroid and Bruch's membrane. On the other hand, ADHD is a chronic condition that affects a person's level of hyperactivity and impulse control (Smith, 2018). ADHD affects the part of the brain that deals with future planning, problem-solving, and regulating emotions. The currently established causes of ADHD include hereditary genetics, traumatic brain injury and drug abuse by the parent during pregnancy.

All factors considered, it is hard to see the link between high myopia and ADHD or learning disability. The causality of both conditions fails to indicate a relationship between the two. The lack of common causalities between ADHD and high myopia meant that scholars and scientists were reluctant to explore the relationship between the two. However, the increasing number of reported cases of ADHD and high myopia drew the interest of some scholars such as Salt & Sargent (2014) who identified the prevalence of visual disability among the children suffering ADHD. Salt & Sargent (2014) sought out to determine the cause of increased cases of visual impairment among children with disability. Despite their in-depth research, the research offers little insight into the possible origins of ocular disorders among children with disabilities. The study by Salt & Sargent (2014), shows how the relationship between children with high myopia and ADHD is a challenging area of research. Others such as Polanczyk, Lima, Horta, Biederman, & Rohde (2007), have researched the worldwide prevalence of ADHD. The authors set out to find out the causes of different globalwide estimates of ADHD. The author concluded that geographic location plays a minimal role in the variability of ADHD. Instead, the variabilities seemed to originate from the methodological characteristics of the studies.

The main problem in the study of the relationship between children with myopia and ADHD is the lack of proper research. Many scholars have failed to define the links that exist between ADHD and high myopia. The lack of research doesn't translate to the significance of the topic. High myopia is a serious problem among children before starting school and after starting school. Eyesight is an integral part of child development. High-myopia negatively affects the visual of the child hence affecting his or her development. High-myopia has the chances of causing high-level stresses within a child thus changing their emotional and psychological status. Although ADHD has not been identified as a direct product of emotional stress, there has been a strong argument made by Polanczyk, Lima, Horta, Biederman, & Rohde (2007) to indicate that ADHD may be a product of cultural factors. The problem with the research topic is the conflicting data on the impact of vision impairment on ADHD. Some sources have indicated that there is no connection between vision impairment and ADHD (Gallaway, n.d.). According to Gallaway (n.d), there is a tendency to mistake the vision problems for ADHD. The report says that there is an overlap between the signs and symptoms of ADHD and vision impairments such as myopia. The statement by Gallaway conflicts with that of Pope (2016) who proposes that there is a connection between high myopia and ADHD. The conflict between the two practitioners indicates the discrepancies that exist in the topic. Therefore, the lack of consensus on the issue is the problem. That leads to the central question of the research topic. Does high-myopia influence the development of ADHD in children or learning disability?

References

Gallaway, M. (n.d.). Vision and ADHD. Retrieved from Michael Gallaway OD: http://www.drgallaway.com/vision-and-learning/vision-and-adhd/

Polanczyk, G., Lima, M. S., Horta, B. L., Biederman, J., & Rohde, L. A. (2007, June 1). The Worldwide Prevalence of ADHD: A Systematic Review and Metaregression Analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 942-948. doi:10.1176/ajp.2007.164.6.942

Pope, A. (2016, February 26). A new study shows a link between ADHD and vision impairment in children. Retrieved from MedicalXpress: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-02-link-adhd-vision-impairment-children.html

Salt, A., & Sargent, J. (2014, December). Common visual problems in children with disability. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 99(12), 1163-1168. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2013-305267

Smith, K. (2018, February 14). Causes of ADHD. Retrieved from Psycom: https://www.psycom.net/adhd-causes

Young, T. (2009, Jan). The molecular genetics of human myopia: an update. Optometry and vision science: official publication of the American Academy of Optometry, 86(1), E8-E22. doi:10.1097/OPX.0b013e3181940655