Written By: Mansi Kohli | Updated : January 5, 2017 9:55 AM IST
Whether it s for work or play, the constant connection of generation millennials on laptops, tablets and mobile phones may cause a range of short-term as well as long-term eye-related problems. Even though constant use of technology might not cause severe or permanent vision damage; but staring at the bright screen for several hours in a day can put our teens at a risk of range of unknown eye problems. The longer we look at computer screen, the lesser we blink, putting more strain on our eyes and leading to headaches. This also means that we are dialling up our chances of getting dry eyes, which can further result in burning and itching. In fact, many research has shown that if you won t change your habit soon, teens might be altering their vision altogether, and becoming more nearsighted. Read here 14 causes of blurred vision you should know about
Dr. P Suresh, Chief Ophthalmic Surgeon at Fortis Hospital, Mumbai, enlightens us on a range of eye problems our teens might encounter due to overusing of technological devices:
Lack of focus: The lights emitting both from liquid crystal displays (LCD) and LED displays, which is used in a range of computer monitors, iPad, television and mobile phones, can be quite harmful for teens. This technology emits diodes of blue light that makes it harder for the eyes to focus and track. The tiny muscles inside your eyeballs, which changes shape because of the eye lens in order to bring in whatever you are seeing into focus, tends to grow tired from focusing on a single point. In some extreme cases, eye muscles become so tired that they can no longer focus.
Tension Headaches:Tension headaches are very common nowadays, across all age groups, especially amongst teens. Hectic lifestyles, associated stress along with sitting too close to your computer screen or even holding your cell phone very close to your face could lead to these headaches. Even though rarely can these headaches be symptoms of serious underlying conditions, one should always keep in mind that when you are viewing something so closely, your eyes are getting stressed upon the hardest, much harder than when you are looking at something far away. Read about 7 reasons for you could be suffering from a headache.
Computer vision syndrome:This affects teens and middle-aged people as computers have become an integral part of their lives. Long hours of working in front of the computer causes symptoms like irritation, foreign body sensation, blurring of vision, redness, heaviness, head, neck pain etc. These are due to uncorrected refractive errors. Dryness is caused due to reduced blinking compounded by air conditioning at home or workplaces. Such non-specific symptoms of computer vision syndrome generally do not indicate any underlying serious eye disease. Here are 4 easy tips to prevent eye strain and computer vision.
Myopia or near sightedness:Myopia is a common refractive error affecting children and young adults generally; 60% are due to hereditary factors, rest might not have any connection with family history. Recent studies are showing that prolonged hours of sitting in front of your devices plays a role in worsening Myopia. Moderate use of all gadgets is recommended for growing children. Many ways of arresting the progress of Myopia are being tried, however its long-term safety is still to be proven.In adults, sudden onset or rapid increase in near sightedness can indicate onset of cataract. Read more about 5 simple ways to correct myopia (short-sightedness)
Excess computer usage can cause other problems like teen obesity due to lack of physical exercise or text neck , which is the most noticeable effect of using a cell phone. Over a period of time, this poor posture can also lead to wear and tear on the spine. It is also possible that too much use of technology could impact emotional development adversely in teens.
Steps to take for children to prevent tech-related eye problems
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