Health

The drawbacks of mobile phone use on eyesight

The prolonged use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets can cause serious damage to your eyes. This article explains how the use of mobile phones can affect your eyes and how to protect them by mortimerhill
Estimated reading time: 2 min 58 sec
The drawbacks of mobile phone use on eyesight Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

The ever-growing technological advancements in mobile phone technology have brought a lot of positive impacts on our daily lives.

However, the prolonged use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets is associated with several negative effects, including eye strain, blurred vision, and dry eyes.

What Causes Eye Strain?

The screens on mobile devices produce a blue light which can cause eye strain. Blue light suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, and alters circadian rhythms.

This can result in disrupted sleep patterns and lead to chronic sleep deprivation. Also, the small screen size and tiny font sizes on mobile devices can force you to strain your eyes to read text or view images clearly. Over time, this can cause eye fatigue, which is detrimental to your overall eye health.

Effects of Blue Light on Eyes

Blue light emitted from mobile devices can cause a range of eye-related issues. The high-energy visible (HEV) blue light can penetrate deep into the eye and cause retinal damage.

Overexposure to blue light and UV radiation can lead to vision loss, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and cataracts. These conditions could ultimately lead to blindness.

Causes of Dry Eyes

Dry eyes occur when the eyes do not produce enough tears to maintain moisturization. Looking at a mobile screen for extended periods causes people to stare and blink less frequently, which causes dry eyes.

Blinking reduces the level of moisture loss from the surface of the eyes, and when people stop blinking, the moisture evaporation increases significantly. This leads to a dry feeling in the eyes, which may cause inflammation and irritation.

How to Protect the Eyes from the Effects of Mobile Phone Use

Despite the downsides that come with mobile phone use, there are several steps you can take to protect your eyes. Some of these steps include:.

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Reduce Screen Time: Prolonged use of your mobile device can cause eye strain. Try to reduce your screen time by taking breaks often and giving your eyes some rest.

Use Anti-glare Screen Protectors: Anti-glare or blue light filter screen protectors help to reduce the harmful effects of blue light on the eyes. Consider applying these screen protectors to your mobile device to protect your eyes.

Increase Font Size and Brightness: Increasing the font size and screen brightness can help to reduce the need for squinting when reading on your mobile device. This can significantly reduce the strain on your eyes.

Place Your Device at a Comfortable Distance: Keeping your mobile device close to your eyes is not a good idea, as it can cause eye strain and potential damage.

Try to hold your device at a comfortable distance (about 16-18 inches) from your eyes.

Use Appropriate Lighting: Adequate lighting is crucial for mobile phone use. Using your devices in a dimly lit room can cause eye strain. To protect your eyes, aim to use your devices in a well-lit environment.

Conclusion

The prolonged use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets can cause serious damage to your eyes. Studies show that the blue light emitted by these devices can cause retinal damage and macular degeneration.

Also, continued use of mobile devices can cause dry eyes, a condition that could lead to inflammation and irritation. However, you can take steps to mitigate the negative effects of mobile phone use on your eyes.

Reducing screen time, increasing font size and brightness, using appropriate lighting, and using anti-glare screen protectors are some of the effective measures that can help protect your eyes from mobile phone use-related damage.

Disclaimer: This article serves as general information and should not be considered medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance. Individual circumstances may vary.

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