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Screens and Your Eyes: Three Crucial Factors to Consider for Preserving Your Visual Health
The use of screens has become ubiquitous in our daily lives. Indeed, this screen dependency can have a significant impact on our eyes. In this article, we reveal three essential keys to ensuring the maintenance of your eye health.
1. Screen Time: A Correlation with Eye Disorders?
Spending long hours in front of a screen without giving your eyes a break can be harmful to your visual well-being. Possible discomforts include eye fatigue and dryness.
While current studies do not show a direct link between screens and the increasing cases of myopia in recent years, our ultra-connected lifestyle is certainly an exacerbating factor in this epidemic. Myopia, a condition where distant vision becomes blurry, is becoming more common, especially among young people (from the age of 8). One explanation is that children's near vision is increasingly stimulated, partly due to the frequent use of screens at school and at home. To learn more about myopia and solutions to control or slow its progression, please refer to our article on the subject.
Reduce your screen time, especially a few hours before bedtime, to promote better sleep quality. We recommend taking short 20-second breaks every 20 minutes by looking at a distant object or taking 3 to 5-minute breaks every hour. To help prevent or slow down the progression of myopia in children, the Order of Optometrists of Quebec recommends spending at least 45 minutes outdoors every day.
2. The Distance Between Your Eyes and the Screen: A Habit to Correct
No, it's not a myth: looking at a screen too closely can lead to eye problems. If you stare at a screen up close for an extended period, your eyes may exert excessive effort to maintain focus, which can result in coordination problems or temporary misalignment of the eyes, leading to strabismus. Strabismus occurs when the eyes do not focus correctly on the same point or are not aligned.
Staring at a screen up close for too long can also cause visual discomfort, headaches, eye fatigue, and blurry vision. According to studies, the average distance at which people hold their mobile phones is currently around 18 cm. You might suspect that this distance is insufficient.
Remember to maintain an adequate distance between your eyes and the screen. Keep the screen at eye level and at a distance of about 40-50 centimeters.
3. Blue Light: Friend or Foe of Your Eyes?
Natural blue light from the sun is essential to help regulate our biological clock. In contrast, artificial blue light emitted by screens has been a medical concern for several years.
Although current research suggests that this light may have long-term negative consequences, none can assert that it is a direct cause of the onset of eye problems. Regarding symptoms of visual fatigue such as dryness and headaches, these are more often attributed to a decreased frequency of blinking, contrast, or our posture in front of the screen.
Even though many questions remain unanswered, it is clear that blue light has an impact on your well-being. Among other things, it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and lead to sleep problems.
Pay attention to your posture and blink regularly when spending time in front of screens. For any concerns about blue light, inquire about glasses specifically designed to filter harmful blue light. These lenses reduce blue radiation transmission, improve contrasts, and can enhance your visual comfort, especially when you are outdoors.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
To preserve the health of your eyes in a world where screens are an integral part of our lives, it is essential to take preventive measures. In this regard, don't forget to regularly consult your optometrist for your eye examination.
During your next clinic visit, feel free to seek advice from your optometrist or optician regarding the selection of your next pair of glasses. Leading lens manufacturers such as Hoya, Essilor, Zeiss, and Nikon offer various treatments and options, such as anti-fatigue lenses, to maximize your visual comfort.