Care for your eyes

Most people nowadays spend a lot of time remaining glued to their mobile phone screen. Understanding the relationship between mobile phone usage and eyes is very much essential for promoting responsible device usage and minimising any adverse effects. Mobile phones emit high-energy blue light through their screens. This light which mobile phones emit can penetrate deep into the eye and potentially cause damage to the retina over a period of time. Prolonged use of mobile phones and exposure to blue light, especially before bedtime, may cause serious disruption to sleep patterns by way of suppressing melatonin production, which leads to insomnia and other sleep-related issues.  Those who spend long hours watching the mobile phone screen can experience digital eye strain, which is also known as computer vision syndrome. The symptoms of computer vision syndrome include dryness, eye fatigue, blurred vision, headaches, and pain in the neck and/or shoulder. Staring at the mobile phone screen for long durations without breaks, improper viewing distances, and poor lighting conditions are some additional factors responsible for causing computer vision syndrome. Many people have become used to close-up viewing; this can lead to a condition which is known as myopia or nearsightedness, particularly in children and adolescents. Myopia rates have been rapidly rising across the globe, with excessive near work, including mobile phone use, being identified as the most important factor. Given this situation, it is very important to take frequent breaks, and maintaining a healthy viewing distance can help mitigate this risk. Most people are so glued to the mobile phone screen that they tend to blink less frequently; this leads to evaporative dry eye and discomfort. Frequent blinking helps in spreading the tear film evenly across the ocular surface, keeping the eyes moist and lubricated.