How smartphones are ruining your eyes – A recent study has shown that over 90% of smartphone users experience dry eye syndrome, headaches, and general vision fatigue. If you spend most of your day staring at the tiny computer screen in your pocket, this shouldn’t surprise you. But if you don’t have an old-fashioned paper calendar or watch, you may not know about the eye health issues associated with these devices. Here’s why smartphones are ruining your eyes, along with some easy tips on preventing them from doing so in the future.
Dry Eyes and Insomnia
Smartphones, tablets, and laptops emit blue light exposure that mimics daylight. This can trick our bodies into thinking it’s daytime when we should be winding down for bed, which means trouble for our sleep patterns. A 2013 study from researchers at Harvard University found a direct link between exposure to nighttime blue light and insomnia caused by blue light, which has been linked to inflammation of eye tissue called dry eye disease. The same research team also concluded that using electronic devices before bedtime could lead to Insomnia or an inability to fall asleep at night. If you have dry eyes or insomnia, try switching off all electronics an hour before bedtime (or earlier) and focusing on relaxing activities like reading until you feel tired enough to fall asleep.
Blue Light from Smartphones
Blue light especially damages our eyes because it penetrates our retina and disrupts sleep hormone production. Excessive blue light exposure can also lead to sleep disruption—or a constant inability to fall asleep, even when physically tired. Overusing electronic gadgets gradually dries out our eyes, making vision difficult and increasing our risk of developing age-related eye diseases. This results in headaches from screen time and other effects of mobile usage, like eye discomfort.
Solution to the Problem
Being plugged in has its perks, but it also comes with many side effects. Besides backaches and stiff necks, people who use their cell phones too much may experience eye health issues. According to doctors at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, using mobile devices for more than two hours a day could contribute to insomnia (also known as smartphone addiction) and can lead to circadian rhythm disturbance. Though studies haven’t conclusively established links between smartphones and increased instances of ADHD, cell phone usage can also lead to dry eye syndrome. People who spend long periods staring at their screens are less likely to blink often—and more blinking is necessary for hydrating one’s eyes and reducing the risk of eye fatigue remedies.
Tips for Smartphone Users
The researchers found that staring at a screen for too long—particularly before bedtime—can interfere with your circadian rhythm, cause eye strain, and make it harder to fall asleep. This phenomenon is known as insomnia or blue light insomnia; studies show it may be to blame for sleep disturbances in people who use electronic devices in the evening.
First, it is important to reduce smartphone use to reduce the impact on sleep. Moreover, it would be good to consider wearing blue light glasses and limiting exposure to harmful lights, retinal damage, and other risks.
Paying attention to the above tips can reduce the long-term effect on your eyes and sleep. With this, you download the app on EyeX and track the right and effective journey for better eye health.
