BENGALURU: Over 250 million Indians suffer from refractive errors which, as per WHO (World Health Organization), is the leading cause of preventable or curable blindness and merely requires good quality spectacles as a correction.
Over half of these are not addressed due to the lack of quality eye care facilities and lack of trained eye care practitioners especially in the remote and small towns. Multi-screening, with several gadgets, also puts our eyes at great risk. Most of us spend over 2 hours in a day in front of screens of these devices.
Digital eye strain is the discomfort felt after prolonged exposure to digital screen and is associated with the close to mid-range distance of digital screens, including desktop and laptop computers, tablets, e-readers and cell phones. The constant exposure to technology results in symptoms of digital eye strain leaving our eyes dry, irritated, causing eye fatigue, blurred vision, headaches, neck and back pain.
What you can do?
Get examined: An annual 20 step zero error eye test from a trained and certified eye care practitioner
Proper lighting: When using a computer, your ambient lighting should be about half as bright as that typically found in most offices. Eliminate exterior light by closing drapes, shades or blinds. Reduce interior lighting by using fewer light bulbs or fluorescent tubes, or use lower intensity bulbs and tubes.
Minimize glare: Consider installing an anti-glare screen on your monitor, reflection on computer screens can also cause eye strain. If you wear glasses, buy lenses with anti-reflective coating and blue light filter. Some users, even without power, prefer to wear zero powered Ozone coated lenses for protection from digital eye strain Upgrade your display: Opt for an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) as they are easier on the eyes and usually have an anti-reflective surface Adjust your computer display settings: Keep brightness, text size, contrast and colour temperature in-sync Blink more often: important when working on a computer as it moistens your eyes to prevent dryness and irritation Take frequent breaks Exercise your eyes - Rule: To reduce your risk of tiring your eyes by constantly focusing on your screen, look away from your computer at least every 20 minutes and gaze at a distant object (at least 20 feet away) for at least 20 seconds Modify your workstation: Adjust your workstation and chair to a height that your computer screen is 20-24 inches away from your eyes and below or at eye level but never above eye level.
By Sujay Suresh Dangi, Chief Optometrist & Head Technical Services, Titan Eyeplus