Increased screen time leads to surge in myopia cases

Aurangabad, Nov 21:

Coronavirus pandemic has led the closure of schools but encouraged the online education system. Though the teaching is now digital its effects on the human body are now becoming a concern. The use of mobiles for online education has led to a rapid increase in the number of children facing ‘Myopia’ which shows symptoms of hazy, blurred vision, unclear vision among the children and adults.

According to experts, myopia is a visual impairment that involves changes in the function of the eye in distant objects. This disease is caused due to the weakening of eye muscles. Adults with myopia have symptoms such as blurred vision, headaches, and difficulty seeing objects at night, while children may blink or rub their eyes frequently. Ophthalmologist Dr Hemant Kulkarni, said, “At present, due to physical reasons four out of 100 people are diagnosed with this ailment while 12 out of 100 cases people are diagnosed with myopia due to the extra usage of the screen during the pandemic. It is important to make a balanced lifestyle and decide how much the gadget should be used by children, including adults. The use of electronic items should be limited to prevent this disorder. The distance of these objects from the eyes should be placed correctly.”

How to protect yourself:

Limit mobile phone usage.

Do eye exercise.

Do not work continuously while working on electronic devices.

Frequent blink eyes.

Running, walking and doing yoga can be beneficial.

Go for a regular eye check-up and choose the right glasses or lenses.

Eat leafy vegetables and carrots.