There’s something about mobile devices that keeps my eyes locked to them: entertainment and learning on the go. It’s very efficient now to watch Youtube videos on my iPad and to read the news on my phone.
But because using phones and other gadgets has almost become second nature to many of us, we tend to forget the effects on our health. A recent study suggests that blue light – a form of visible light that these devices emit – can cause our vision to degenerate faster.
Many news outlets have picked on this study by a team of researchers from the University of Toledo, who explain how blue light can kill photoreceptor cells in the eye, potentially leading to macular degeneration, a condition that usually happens in older people. However, the study was done in a lab setting and that some specialists said more research is required to find out more about the other effects of blue light on the eyes.
We’ve asked Dr. Mandy Xu, an ophthalmologist at Beijing AIER Intech Eye Hospital in Beijing about this recent news. She explains that blue light is always present in nature and that it plays an important role in regulating our circadian rhythm. “Blue light produces dark vision and affects the refractive development of the eyes,” Dr. Xu adds.
“We cannot judge whether blue light is harmful,” she says but suggests that it may have other effects. “Several animal experiments and in-vitro cell culture experiments have demonstrated that light damage is caused in various layers of the retina after exposure to blue light. But the damage to human eyes caused by long-term, chronic, low-intensity light irradiation has not been proved yet.”
She explains that while the wavelength of blue light is between 400-500 nanometers (nm), only shortwave light in the range of 400-480 nm can cause photochemical damage to the retina.
All science aside, it helps to keep an eye out especially many young people and children use tablets and smartphones in different ways. Dr. Xu shares with us these tips for maintaining healthy eyes:
– Avoid looking at mobile devices at a close range for a long time. If you need to use electronic devices at night, put mobile screens into night mode to reduce blue light emission. If your device doesn’t have this setting, get a screen protector that filter out or reduce blue light.
– Ensure that you have sufficient light when looking at your mobile devices. Strong light or dark rooms at night are not suitable for reading. If you have to work with electronic products at night, make sure have sufficient lighting and adjust the screen brightness to a suitable setting.
– After around 20 minutes of work, get up and move for about 10 minutes and look at a farther distance to relax the eyes. If your work involves using computer screens, this short movement can also help your muscles relax.
– Increase the time of outdoor activity to broaden your field of vision and to avoid refractive error (ametropia) and other eyesight-related problems.
– Natural light in the room can insufficient or too bright, causing the eye field to become narrower. It is easy to be myopic when you’re at home so Instead of wearing blue glasses, maintaining proper eye hygiene is more important. Good eye hygiene includes removing eye makeup before sleeping, reading with sufficient light, looking at devices at a considerable distance, and not touching the eyes with an unwashed hand.
Don’t wait until your vision gets more blurry or your eyes experience recurrent strains before you visit an eye specialist. A comprehensive eye examination can help you correct any vision impairment or eyesight-related health conditions early.
About the Doctor
Dr. Mandy Xu is an eye specialist at Aier Eye Hospital and the hospital’s special outpatient doctor. Her expertise includes diagnosis and treatment of common eye diseases. Dr. Xu was awarded a gold medal of Overseas Services by China Youth Volunteers.
Beijing AIER Intech Eye Hospital
Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4.40pm. 5F International Clinic, Panjiayuan Building, No. 12, Nanli, Panjiayuan, Chaoyang District. 北京市朝阳区潘家园南里12号潘家园大厦，北京爱尔英智眼科医院5层国际门诊部 (400 600 7911, en.aierchina.com)
Photos: Lisa Fotios, bruce mars via Pexels; courtesy of Beijing Aier Intech Eye Hospital