Eye Problems
1. Our eyes are under a great deal of strain these days as computer work, television viewing, night driving,and even sunshine are making exceptional demands. Sunlight, especially in the summer, is now regarded asone cause of cataracts( 白内障 ).
2. The thinning of the ozone ( 臭氧 ) layer means more short-wave ultraviolet (UV) rays ( 紫外线 ) arereaching the earth, and these are the biggest risk factor for clouding the lens of the eye. Ultraviolet rays increasethe risk of changes to the cornea ( 角膜 ) causing clouded vision and eventually cataracts. The rays can be shieldedonly by anti-UV lenses. However, our eyes are not sufficiently prorated by fashion sunglasses.
3. "Poor night vision and eye fatigue are noticeably more common, and there has been a big increase inminor eye complaints in the over-40s," says Dr. Mireille Bonnet, who more than 100,000 times a day and thateveryone should learn to exercise their eye muscles and allow them to rest.
4. It was traditionally thought that near- or far- sightedness were inherited conditions and could not beinfluenced by environmental factors, but new research is challenging this assumption.
5. Recent studies suggest that up to 80 percent of schoolchildren in the United States and western Europeare nearsighted. Years of focusing on close, two- dimensional work causes most children to become at leastslightly nearsighted by the age of 10, say the researchers.
6. Problems with night vision, which affect around 25 percent of people, are also on the increase becauseof computer use. Using computer screens means the eye must operate in electromagnetic fields (电磁场) thatmake it work harder. It is estimated that 25 to 30 percent of people have eye conditions, such as difficulty withnight vision, which result from staring at a screen.

Sunlight in the summer is believed to be one cause of （）