Dr Keerthan Rao

1.Digital eye strain also called computer vision syndrome, comprises of symptoms like tiredness of the eye, dry eyes, head ache and overall discomfort. Its is usually seen in people whose screen time is more than around 7-8 hours, usually the IT professionals, bankers etc. It happens because of prolonged usage of computers, improper posture, infrequent blinking and work environment.

2.Prolonged exposure to mobile especially during night time will cause imbalance in melatonin which in turn affects the quality of sleep and hamper the circadian rhythm. Because of lack of sleep there is a risk of other cardiovascular problems and diabetes.

3.Blue light from the phone is the one which impairs the melatonin production the most which disturbs the sleep cycle and overall health.

4.The long term effects of increased screen time are sleep irregularity, hypertension, diabetes, heart issues etc. In the eyes dry eyes is very common side effect, myopia(short sightedness) and headaches are also associated with the same.

5. While it is inevitable for the IT professionals, bankers and in this digital world almost everyone to have significant screen time few of the modifications are

-20-20-20 rule where for 20 minutes of work take a 20 second break to look at something 20 ft away, so that your eye muscles are relaxed.

-The screen and the eye level should not be the same, keep the screen little below the eye level so that the eyes are half shut and eye gets the necessary lubrication

-Use a good preservative free lubricating eyedrop

-The lighting of the work environment should not be too bright or dim. It should be ambient and comfortable.

-The posture in which we sit is also very important

-Using a blue block, anti reflective coating for the spectacles are also helpful.

(Dr Keerthan Rao is a Consultant in Ophthalmology, KMC Hospital, Mangaluru)