How Technology Affects The Eyes

The advent of smart technologies like televisions, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and more has us glued to some screen or another all day long. Whether we use laptops and smartphones for work purposes, or whether our children are glued to televisions and tablets for gaming, such excessive usage of screens is definite to affect our health, and most importantly our eyes. More than 4-5 hours a day on a screen is excessive and harmful for the eyes. And, in this world of technology, we are definitely glued to screens for at least 6-8 hours a day, which is certainly bad!

Why are screens harmful?

Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum, which has a short wavelength and carries a high amount of energy. Digital screens emit such blue light, and close proximity to such screens and long duration of time spent looking at them can be hazardous. Blue light causes digital eye strain, retina damage, fatigue, sleeplessness, or decreased quality and quantity of sleep. Also, blue light exposure can increase the risk of macular degeneration.

Can't the human eye block blue light?

The human eye is designed such that the cornea and lens block almost all the UV rays of the sun, and prevents it from reaching the retina. Thus, only less than 1% of UV light reaches the retina. But, the eyes aren’t designed to block blue light. Thus, high exposure to blue light can harm the light-sensitive cells in the retina. The modern day occupations have the majority of us glued to digital screens for a considerable length of time in one go. This can put a lot of strain on the eyes, which can cause eye issues that fall under the category of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Moreover, children’s eyes absorb more blue light than adults from such digital screens, which causes eye strain, eye pain, and a lot more. This is the reason we see such tiny tots wearing such thick glasses today!

How to use digital screens without being adversely affected?

Just as much as technology harms our eyes, it is that very same technology that can help us combat the harmful effects of blue light on our eyes! Confused, right? One thing to remember is that technology isn't bad. It is the way we use technology that proves it to be harmful or unharmful for us. If we use screens only for a limited amount of time every day, it won't do us much harm. But, just as mentioned above, some occupations require lots of time to be spent on smartphones and computer screens. If you are one such professional, you definitely need a few tips that can help you combat the ill-effects of blue light of the screens. The following methods are some that can help reduce the effect of blue light.

• Use special computer glasses while working on screens. These come with yellow-tinted lenses that block the blue light by increasing contrast, which helps ease eye strain.

• If you already have glasses, use anti-reflective lenses which can lessen the glare, increase contrast, and block blue light.

• If your condition is worse and cannot be resolved with the help of such glasses and lenses, you must definitely fix an appointment immediately with an eye specialist in Oshiwara Mumbai, with a trusted name like Arohi Eye Hospital. Let eye professionals do their job and let you know what exact problem you are suffering from. Identifying the exact issue can bring you a step closer to offering the right treatment, and thus a faster and more successful recovery.

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