With smartphones, tablets and laptops becoming a way of life, it is not only blurring our vision but is also causing headaches, backaches and problems in the head and neck region. Digital drain is affecting youngsters and the middle-aged, who are hooked onto these devices and often overlook the problem. Eye strain, dry eyes and headaches are common complaints among youngsters using mobile phones for 10 to 12 hours a day. Dr Vamsidhar, senior ophthalmologist, explains the need to take breaks while working.
Q How are the eyes and the rest of the body affected by viewing computers, laptops, phones and television for 10 to 12 hours in a day?
GENERAL BODY EFFECTS
Back pain: It can occur after sitting in front of the computer. The culprits are incorrect posture, inefficient workplace organisation and muscle tension due to stress.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (cts): It is caused by repeated or excessive movement of muscles and nerves in hands and wrists.
Neck and Shoulder: You may experience stiffness in the neck and shoulders after sitting in the same position for a long period or due to incorrect posture.
OCULAR EFFECTS
Eye strain: In the form of tired and sore eyes, watering of the eyes, irritation, blurred vision, slowness of focus change and double vision.
Cause: The cause varies for each individual. The three general causes are: poor lighting, harmful work habits and lack of proper eye care.
Dry eyes: It is caused by staring at the computer for a long period and not blinking. Blinking helps in lubricating eyes and when you don’t blink, they become dry, red and itchy.
Myopia: Myopia or near-sightedness is caused by only focusing on nearby objects. The eye muscles get used to close-up work and lose the flexibility to focus on distant objects. The more close-up work you do such as using the computer or reading, the more your distant vision declines until all you see is a blur.
Q Has there been an increase in computer vision syndrome (CVS)?
The number of people using a computer in India is 20 million plus and 80 per cent of them (16 million) have discomfort due to CVS. This increase in the use of computers has led to a rise in the number of people with ocular complaints.
Q How can dry eyes due to CVS be tackled?
Position your monitor in a way where the top is just below eye level. It reduces the need for your eyes to be fully open to see. You should also take small breaks.
Q How can one relax the eyes?
Body positioning: The best ways to relax your eyes are by sitting in proper lighting conditions and on a chair that is comfortable. The location of reference materials, position of the monitor and the number of times you take a break are all important too.
Screen location: The computer screen should be 15 to 20 degrees below eye level (about 4 or 5 inches) as measured from the centre of the screen, and 20 to 28 inches away from the eyes.
Proper lighting: Eye strain is caused by bright light either from sunlight or from harsh interior lighting. When you use a computer, your ambient lighting should be about half as bright as that typically found in most offices. Eliminate exterior light by closing the drapes. Reduce interior lighting by using fewer fluorescent tubes. Also, the windows must be to the side of the computer.
Low glare: Use a screen glare filter. These filters decrease the amount of light reflected from the screen. If you wear glasses, purchase lenses with anti-reflective (AR) coating.
Upgrade your display: Flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD) screens are easier on the eyes and usually have an anti-reflective surface. Old-fashioned CRT screens can cause a noticeable ‘flicker’ of images, which is a major cause of eye strain. Choose a relatively large display. For a desktop computer, select a display that has a diagonal screen size of 19 inches.
Display settings
Adjusting the settings of your computer can help reduce eye strain and fatigue.
Brightness: Adjust the brightness so that it’s the same as the brightness of your workstation.
Text size, contrast: Adjust the text size and contrast for comfort, especially when reading or composing long documents.
Colour temperature: Reducing the colour temperature of your display lowers the amount of blue light emitted and is comfortable.
Seating: Chairs should be comfortably padded and your feet must rest on the floor. If your chair has arms, they should be adjusted to provide arm support while you are typing.
Take a break: Take a 20-second break, every 20 minutes and look at something that is 20 feet away.
Blinking: Always make a voluntary effort to blink frequently.
Q How must youngsters protect their eyes?
- Blink, blink and blink again. Blinking often keeps your eyes moist and reduces dryness and irritation. Blinking also helps refocus your eyes.
- Use smart phones equipped with anti-glare corning gorilla glass or use a matte screen protector film. This can reduce the annoying reflective glare.
- It is important to take regular breaks
- Adjust your brightness. Having a screen that is too bright or dark stresses your eyes out and can cause problems in maintaining focus.
- Keep a clean screen by wiping frequently with a dry cloth.
- Hold your smart phone farther away: Try holding the phone at least 16 to 18 inches away from your eyes and give your eyes a break often.
