A SHOCKING image has revealed the damage too much screen time can do can to your eyes.
Whether it’s staring at a screen all day for work, or spending hours binging on Netflix, we tend to put our eyes through their paces on a daily basis.
New research has revealed how our eye health could be impacted in the future and how to protect and prevent Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).
Most of us are surrounded by blue light and most of the time, are unaware of it.
Blue light has a huge impact on both our eye and skin health. Research shows that as little as 60 minutes infront of a screen can cause damage from blue light.
This can lead to changes in your skin cells, as the blue light speeds up the ageing process.
Blue light can lead to poor eye health, as well as pigmentation of the skin, swelling and redness.
Skin expert for Digital Defence, Dr Johanna Ward explained: “High energy blue light can cause significant damage to the eyes and the skin causing accelerated ageing – not only from direct exposure but from our skins ability to repair itself.
“HEV light is emitted by the sun so it’s not a new exposure for us but nowadays we are all getting extra doses of HEV through our modern tech – it’s emitted from our super-sized televisions, our LED light bulbs, our computer screens and our phones.”
Spending too much time in front of a screen can be detrimental to your sight.
A recent study conducted by Fight For Sight found that most people have increased their screen time since the Covid-19 pandemic and that this in turn has had an impact on our eye health.
It found that 49 per cent of people reported an increase in their screen time since the start of the pandemic, with over a third reporting that their eyesight had worsened.
Expert contact lens optician at Feel Good Contact, Sharon Copeland said that it’s not unusual for some of us to spend most of our weeks in front of a screen.
Whether you’ve had to work or study from home, new research has found that we have been spending more time in front of our screensCredit: Alamy
She explained: “Understanding the consequences of this and how to prevent the damage we are causing to our eyes is really important.
“Education on the signs of too much screen time is key to battling eye conditions caused by it in the digital age.
“CVS has a number of different symptoms ranging from eye fatigue to headaches, if you notice yourself suffering from these it’s really key to get in touch with your optician who can decide whether you need further examinations in order to get a proper diagnosis.”
With that in mind, how can you protect yourself from CVS?
1. Take a break
There are many ways in which we can mitigate the damage done by too much screen time, and one is to step away from the screens all together.
This might be difficult if you have a desk job, but the 20.20.20 rules is effective and easy to remember.
The experts say: “Every 20 minutes you should aim to look away from your screen for 20 seconds, and let your eyes focus on something 20 metres away.”
2. Wear glasses
If you need reading glasses then you should alwasy wear these if you have a desk job in order to stop your eyes straining.
But for other people who stare at a screen all day and who don’t have prescription lenses, blue light glasses could help quell your symptoms of CVS.
The experts said: “Blue light glasses protect your eyes from harmful blue light which can cause blurriness on screens and make it hard to concentrate, leading to eye strain, headaches and fatigue.
3. Keep it moist
Another tip to prevent CVS is to keep your eyes moist.
This is because when we stare at screens for too long we can often forget to blink which makes our eyes much drier than they would be normally.
“Frequently looking away from your screen is a way of allowing yourself to blink more, while also giving your eyes a rest.
“Alternatively, using eye drops is another great option to prevent your eyes from drying out”, the experts said.
4. Reduce the brightness
Artificial light can be harsh on our eyes and one way to protect them is to turn down your brightness.
You can easily lower the brightness settings on most devices, and filters can be downloaded or physically applied to your screens to further soften the light.
On some computers there is a small sunshine button which you can click to dim the brightness.