Indore: Pink eye may be an early sign of corona infection. Along with nose and mouth, it is necessary to protect the eyes as well, explained ophthalmologist Dr Pranay Singh.
Singh while addressing an online seminar conducted by Create Stories Social Welfare Society on ‘Eye Care in Corona Times’, said that, “In the time of corona when our life is mostly limited to home and office, the use of screen has gone up invariably.” He added that not just online classes but also general use of mobile phones has increased among children and elderly.
“It has become usual for new parents to engage their toddlers in screen so that they can have their alone time with their phones,” Singh said. While the use of smartphones and gadgets cannot be banned anymore, necessary precautions can at least save our vision in the long-term.
How eyes react to screen time?
Dr Singh: When we use the screen for long hours, our eyes are stressed and eventually muscles of the eyes become weak. More the time spent on mobiles, tabs, laptops, etc, higher is the risk of wearing glasses.
While it is necessary to use phones, it is more necessary to distance yourself from phones and gadgets for sometime. You must set a time when you are not allowed to use phones and preferably spend time outdoors.
Eye issues on the rise say statistics
Dr Singh: Country is growing rapidly in the digital world, on the other hand it has also seen a bad effect on people's health. Especially in the age group of 20 to 30 years, there are complaints of eye pain, headache, blurred vision, neck and shoulder pain. 7 out of 10 eye patients have digital vision syndrome.
Eye problems can cause insomnia
Dr Singh: Stressed screen time increases the possibility of stress, insomnia and many other diseases. Most of us spend most hours of our day sitting in front of the screen, whether it is a computer screen or a mobile screen. This problem associated with eyes is also called digital eye strain.
Digital eye strain was earlier known as computer vision syndrome. This disease is increasing day by day in people and now it is doubled when everything is going on from home. On average every 40 seconds our attention goes to the phone.
Follow the 20-20-20 rule
People who work for long hours on computers and laptops should watch for 20 seconds every 20 minutes to keep things at 20 feet away, this reduces eye strain.
Eye care tips by Dr Singh
• Frequently wash eyes with cold water.
• Stop the habit of rubbing children's eyes.
• Eating fruits and vegetables daily increases the power of the eyes.
• Do not look continuously at the screen while working on a computer or mobile, remove the eyes from the screen after 20 minutes, so that eyes are relaxed.
• Get your eyes checked once a year.
• If you feel sleepy, heaviness in the eyes, irritation or fatigue, close the eyes immediately and give them some rest.
• Do not let children sit in front of the computer after a certain time.
