HYDERABAD : The lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic have turned us into ‘screen junkies’; we are perennially glued to our laptops or phones for work and entertainment. All this excessive screen time has led to strained eyes and headaches among many. We speak to experts about why staring at screens is bad for your eyes and what you can do to care for them.
Normally, we blink around 12 to 18 times in a minute. But when people stare at screens, the blink rate goes down, says Dr. G V Siva Prasad, ophthalmologist. “A lowered blink rate obstructs the natural phenomena of lubricating the eyes, resulting in a corner tear. A reduced blink rate is the reason for redness and sever dryness that can lead to a headache. The heat produced by the monitor also leads to evaporation in the eye, producing deflations,” said Dr Prasad.
The medical alternative is to put some lubricating eye drops every two hours or whenever there is redness or dryness in the eyes. But Dr Prasad suggests to instead make lifestyle changes and take a break from our computer screens ever five minutes to blink.
“A hot bag fermentation will promote good blood flow, which will aid in the normal secretions that are required for healthy eyes. To protect the eyes from the direct light of the computer screens, they can also use anti-glare glasses,” he says.
The doctor also advices to maintain proper eye hygiene. “Dandruff might fall on the eyelashes and cause blepharitis, so we clean the eyelid as well as the lashes. Eye liners also affect the production of normal secretions,” he adds.
Dr Sreelakshmi Nimmagadda, an ophthalmologist and managing director of Winvision Eye Hospitals, says that watching TV is better than staring at the computer or phones as you are at a distance when you are watching TV.
“Anti-glare glasses or blue glasses do not work a lot, they can help you a certain extent. Therefore, every 20 minutes, look away from the screen and blink 20 times. This will reduce the dryness problem. Use lubricating eye drops. Accept the problem and try and overcome them with little breaks,” she says. “You cannot blame the gadgets all the time. The system that tells students to study without break is also causing eye problems,” adds Dr Nimmagadda.
Dry eyes? Try this
Use lubricating eye drops
Do not use cucumber or wet cotton as they might cause an infection
Keep your laptop or computer at an arm’s distance
Take a blink break every 20 minutes