In a 24x7 gadget-dependent world, digital eye strain is perhaps on its way to becoming the new lifestyle disorder. In today’s world, our eyes are required to work overtime, at sub-optimal conditions. People stare at their smart phones to either check mails or to receive messages, to book tickets or to buy stuff, to interact with their banks or to check the stock market or even to look for direction. Is this constantly reading and working off a variety of digital devices for long hours harmful for the eyes?
Dr Nitin Shetty, HoD and Head, Retina Services, Ophthalmology Department, Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru, says yes. “While no studies have reported permanent damage to the eye, constantly looking at television or computer screens is associated with eye strain, headaches and dryness of the eyes. When we look at objects in the screens, tiny muscles inside the eyes contract to adjust the lens’ focus. In addition, the eye muscles have to converge the eyes a bit for us to seethe objects. Constant contraction of these muscles leads to eye strain, inability to focus well and headaches.”
Yet another issue is dryness of the eye. While concentrating on near objects, we tend to blink less often. “This leads to faster evaporation of the tear film on the eye causing dryness. If you are in an air-conditioned environment then this evaporation is more rapid. The dryness in turn can cause eye grittiness, redness and irritation,” says Dr Shetty.
While the area of focus has shrunken with iPads, tablets, kindles and cellphones, another worrying trend among users is checking mail, messages and updating statuses even in the middle of the night.
Another factor to be borne in mind is that the light-emitting diodes from gadgets give off blue wavelength light which could be potentially harmful in the long run.
Dr Shetty says, “At night when the eyes are adapted to the dark, a sudden exposure to the bright screens can be discomforting and is likely to affect the quality of sleep.”
Dr Mahesh Kumar, Consultant Neuro Ophthalmology, Aravind Eye Hospitals, Madurai, adds, “This habit of working at odd hours is bound to affect the production of melatonin, (a hormone produced in a gland in the brain at night) which has repercussions on the sleep cycle and other body functions. Ideally one should stop using digital devices a couple of hours before one’s bedtime.”
With children too getting hooked onto digital devices, parents are a worried lot.
Dr Shetty adds that studies have shown some link between excessive near work, lack of outdoor activities to myopia or short sightedness.
“While it may not be possible to completely stop usage, combining the use of gadgets with healthy periods of outdoor activities would be advisable. Ensuring that the child adopts the right posture, is not holding the device too close to the eyes and avoiding prolonged viewing can help.”