How Screen Time Can Lead To Eye Problems; Precautions To Take – News18

Smartphones have become an important part of our lives. From setting reminders, sending emails, video conferencing to attending classes online, we are heavily dependent on this technology. For extensive work, we generally depend on our laptops or computers. The excessive use of these devices can damage our health. This has taken a huge toll on young children as well as adults, as they are spending more time on devices than stepping outdoors or playing sports or outdoor games. As per ophthalmologist Dr Madhu Venkataraman, excessive exposure to the screen like phones and laptops is causing eye problems in children and adults. Due to Covid-19 induced lockdown, adults had to work from home, while children continued their studies online. This led to people spending too much time looking at the screen, which resulted in various cases of eye problems with the most common being eyes getting watery. Eye-related problems have increased due to exposure to devices.

The expert adds that our eyes are one of the most important of all the senses and hence it is important we pay attention to them. The doctor advised that after every 20 minutes, one should blink their eyes 20 times while working on a phone or a laptop. Another advice she shared is that after every 20 minutes, one should look away at a distance of 20 metres. She explains that by doing so, the eyes will not dry out and will stay moist.

It is imperative to reduce the usage of mobile as much as possible and one should not spend hours on it unnecessarily. What happens is when we keep looking at the screen, we blink less which causes our eyes to dry. This is the root cause of many eye-related illnesses. Parents should make sure that children step outside their homes and get involved in outdoor sports and games.

Doctors also suggest splashing cold water on your face and eyes as often as possible while walking on the computer.