Screen Time And Eye Health

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It is not just you and me that spend a lot of time looking at the screen, such as on television, tablets, computers, and smartphones. Pretty much everybody is doing it regularly without noticing the danger of losing one’s vision. We know that it can significantly impact our health, but most of us tend to ignore the threat. According to Katherine Dahlsgaard, PhD, there is a mental health impact of excessive screen time, and she offers advice for setting limits. Model moderate screen use as a parent. Show your children, with your own behavior, how to live a rich, varied, and healthy life where all habits are practiced in moderation.

Reasonably,  it is an opportunity for us to consider taking care of our eyesight.

The Importance Of Understanding

It is not enough that we only know the possible things that might happen if we continue making unhealthy habits that damage our eyes. A lot of us are well aware of that. However, not all people are open to the idea of taking care of their vision. That explains why some people still use their contact lenses for more than the required hours. Some individuals often use their smartphones late at night. Some are even spending too much time in front of the computer without taking breaks as well. You see, people are stubborn that they do not seem to care what could happen to their health until things are a bit too late. That is the reason why when they only have a limited time to save their eye health, they try to do everything no matter what. It is ironic because no one with better eyesight is working on a list of proper eye care. Well, I think they are too confident to believe that they will never lose or damage their vision even if they habitually work on their bad routines.

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Sad Reality

Honestly, no one gets immediate dysfunctional eyes. It always takes a lot of time before something appears damaged. That gives people enough time to do whatever they want regardless of the harmful habit. Yes, if someone is spending time with his phone for more than ten hours a day and can screen time up to seven days a week within the span of three months, who would think that something terrible could happen? There is this people’s mentality that if they can maximize their eyesight usage without feeling pain, then things are still good. People believe that if something is not causing them unusual situations, there is nothing to worry about.

Another unfortunate reality this generation faces is the mental impact brought about by excessive screen time. “Children and adolescents who spent more time using screen media were lower in psychological well-being than low users. High users of screens were significantly more likely to display poor emotion regulation (not staying calm, arguing too much, being difficult to get along with), an inability to finish tasks, lower curiosity, and more difficulty making friends,” according to the research of Dr. Jean Twenge, PhD, and Dr. W. Keith Campbell, PhD.

Insight

Our eyes are sensitive; that is why it is essential to frequently consider taking a break from any digital use and activity. It will not hurt us if we lessen our screen time. It will not create a massive complication when we put our phones away for a couple of hours. It will not even make us suffer if we go to bed without checking our gadgets before going to sleep. You see, it all takes a change of habit to ensure our visions are in better health. We have to give our eyes a chance to move away from too much pressure and stress.

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Keeping our eyes safe and healthy is something that we can always do. Expert Dr. Anthony Fallone expresses the link between eyes and a person’s personality. He says, “The eye is so closely linked neurologically to the brain that you might call it the only part of our brain you can see from the outside. It seems to hold vital clues to our brain function.” As long we know and value the importance of our eyesight, we can have time to spare it from damaging habits.

What Causes Blurry Vision?

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There are a wide variety of eyesight problems that perhaps a lot of people are experiencing differently. There is the case of cataract, dilated pupils, crossed eyes, color blindness, and many more. But what most people are sharing the same is the condition of having a blurry vision.

“As organisms age, all their biological systems should be expected to break down and fail with increasing regularity, and eyes are no exception,” wrote Jesse Marczyk, PhD. “So what might explain why human visual acuity appears so lackluster early in life (to the tune of over 20 percent of teenagers using corrective lenses)? There are a number of possible explanations we might entertain.”

Perhaps that is due to the unhealthy practices that a lot of people do daily. It might include the pressure of spending too much time on mobile devices and bright screens. Anyhow, let’s take a closer understanding of what causes blurry vision.

Factors That Cause Blurry Vision

Refractive Errors

Some refractive eye errors result in the condition, such as nearsightedness or the inability to see things from afar. There is also farsightedness, which is the opposite of the latter. Then, lastly, astigmatism, where there is an irregularity on the surface of the eye’s cornea. All of these conditions are not at all severe and can be easily corrected with the help of glasses and specific contact lenses. But note that it is essential to consult an eye care professional before using any type of correcting-contact lenses and eyeglasses. That is to prevent the condition from getting worse.

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Eye Diseases

Some types of eye diseases may cause blurry vision. These include ocular migraine, dry eyes, eye floaters, macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and more. Any of these health conditions significantly contribute to the unclear vision. It is essential to consult a health professional about these specific cases to address the underlying issues that go along with it. Note that other factors can contribute to these eye diseases. So taking time in understanding all of them is as essential as well.

Change In prescription

As much as individuals desire to disregard the fact that drugs cannot affect their vision, well, it can. The individual who takes a drug prescription that suddenly changes the dosage or drug type is more likely to experience blurry vision. That is due to some of the medicine’s content that appears to stop the eye from producing water. The side effects of every drug vary, though. However, it is crucial to seek an eye expert when there is a sudden vision loss or change every time there is an instant replacement of medication.

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Blood Sugar Is High

Having diabetes for an extended period can cause blurry vision. This particular condition is what we call diabetic retinopathy. It is the state where a high blood glucose level damages the eye cells and prevents the blood vessels from delivering enough oxygen to the veins of the eyes. Usually, there are no symptoms of eye protein leak that one can notice. However, the loss of nutrients to the part of the retina signals the body to form new weak blood vessels. That explains why diabetic individuals often suffer from eye swelling and bleeding inside the eye.

 

Consultant psychiatrist Raj Persaud, FRCPsych, also wrote, “In a high stakes situation, as when even small deviations in visual acuity can have catastrophic career consequences, such as being a pilot, it is possible that people with a background of anxiety or depression, get more worked up about their eyesight.”

There seems to be a connection between eye condition and mental health. Carol Look, LCSW, DCH, did a study answering the question, “Is it possible for a person with a vision problem to improve their eyesight by using Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)?” There were limitations to the study, nonetheless, her results reported that “nearly 75% of participants in this study indicated that an improvement occurred in their vision during and by the end of the study.”

Whatever the cause is, it is vital to ensure that the eye receives the right amount of balance. So if any way some of these causes seem to get worse seek an eye expert immediately.

Improve Your Eyesight Naturally

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In today’s society, we are always spending time with our smartphones and computers. So it is pretty much a cliché if we keep on talking about how the eyes are getting all the unwanted pressure. We know that already, and it is very much evident that we take our eyesight for granted. But to be fair from the judgment, there are still ways that can help us save our eyes from everyday damage. But note that we should put an effort into understanding the things that we should be aware of to control situations. Remember, prevention is way too much better than cure.

How To Do It?

One way that helps improve eyesight is the reduction of time spent using smartphones. Yes, those little gadgets can have a massive impact on our eyes. The light that it emits, especially at night, is not that eye-friendly. With that, the less time we keep our eyes away from it, the more chances of saving our eyesight.

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Another way to improve our eyesight is by getting enough sleep. It allows the eyes to rejuvenate and repair itself because it gets enough rest. The longer it stays close, the better it receives hydration. Since the eyes usually work excessively, sleep can help increase blood circulation and function.

To protect the eyes from strain, a piece of advice that helps significantly is drinking enough water. Yes, our eyes are made up of water, too, so drinking enough water allows its hydration. The eyes should not stop producing water and must stay lubricated all the time. Because if it causes frequent dehydration, it may lead to severe vision problems.

A good posture is vital in improving eyesight as well. That is because it has a lot to do with the position of the body when looking into something. If we have a bad posture, we might excessively put the pressure onto the eyes by frequently tilting our heads, squinting, and even leaning forward in front of the object.

The diet also plays a notable role in keeping the eyes healthy. Always make sure that the eyes receive the right amount of nutrients from the foods we eat. It is vital to make a habit of eating fruits and vegetables every day. Never forget to avoid unhealthy diet, such as consuming too much junk food. Not only will it lessen the eyes’ function, but it can also bring a higher risk for eye diseases.

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Our eyes are way too sensitive, so we have to protect them all the time. One way to help it is by wearing sunglasses. It helps prevent the eyes from getting damaged by ultraviolet rays from the sun. Therefore, it is essential to use and wear eye protection when the surroundings are super sunny and bright.

These are some of the remarkable things we can do to help improve our eyesight. As long as we make an effort to keep it safe, there is a guarantee of having an excellent and useful vision.

Useful Tips In Relieving Eye Strain

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A lot of people think that having an eye strain is typical in everyday life. Perhaps that is because of the ideal time they spend staring at their books, smartphones, computer screens, tablets, and televisions. The eyes have to put up effort into looking at something within a few feet of a particular range. Sometimes, an average time runs approximately ten hours of eye exposure to such stuff. According to Timothy Legg, PhD, CRNP, “the Vision Council reports that 87 percent of those in the United States use one or more digital devices for more than two hours a day.”

Every day, everybody is looking at something close up, so there is quite a tendency that almost above the average of people experience eye strain. To relieve that, here are some tips to follow.

Take A Break

Eye strain is not something that people should worry that much. Taking a break from doing things that pressure the eyes is helpful. Let’s say individuals spend more than two hours with their smartphones, 20 seconds to 20-minute eye rest will help restart the function of sight. However, for those individuals who seem to suffer from headache along with an eye strain, it is much better if they rest for at least a couple of hours.

Blink And Look Away

People experience eye strain because of too much exposure in a close distance range. In most cases, they forget to blink due to the excessive amount of eye focus. So one way to reduce that eye tension is blinking and looking to a distance. The process will allow the eyes to find its center again and to move away from focusing on particular stuff. The appropriate shift of sight is at least 20 feet away, so always remember that.

“Rather than keeping your eyes focused on the computer screen for hours at a time, interrupt this process every 15 minutes by briefly looking out of the window or around the room,” says Andrew Dahl, MD, FACS. He also added that “when performing extended visual tasks of all sorts, occasionally stand up, move about, and stretch your arms, legs, back, neck, and shoulders.”

 

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Use A Wider Screen

For those individuals who often use a computer or laptop, it is much better if they use a wider screen. It helps in reducing eye strain when it gets angled-up a little bit. If people can get it in comfortable eye height, and a convenient front distance, that would be much better. Also, set up the light of the screen according to the light of the surrounding to help prevent glaring.

Make Use Of The Surrounding Light

Aside from the light of the screen, people should work in a well-lighted area. It will help in creating a balance surrounding that will enhance the eyes’ capability to function. Avoid reading or working in a dim room because it adds more strain on the eyes. If in case the light is too much, it is much better to adjust the positioning to get the right amount of light.

“Many computer users find their eyes feel better if they can avoid working under overhead fluorescent lights. If possible, turn off the overhead fluorescent lights in your office and use floor lamps that provide indirect “soft white” LED lighting instead,” says Gary Heiting, OD, and Larry K. Wan, OD.

 

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Set Up A Proper Workplace

When using the eyes, it is also essential to think about where to sit to get an angle comfortable with the desk. If it is possible to have the monitor away, that would be perfect. Setting it at least 3 feet away diminishes the amount of the eye’s effort in focusing on something.

These useful guidelines go a long way in keeping your eyes away from ocular strain and stress.  But remember that the health of the eyes will still depend on how much time and what task people should spend using it.