Technology can affect eyesight

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

A global upsurge in near-sightedness and eyestrain may be linked to greater use of technology, optometrists say.
While research is ongoing into the long-term effects digital devices have on our eyes and health, several studies have revealed that blue light emitted from a computer, cellphone and tablet can wreak havoc on our circadian rhythm – 24-hour biological clock – and affect melatonin production, a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness.
Cases of myopia, or near-sightedness, have also been on the rise worldwide.
“It’s a really big, hot topic right now and even in the exam room I’m seeing more and more kids who are on screens and phones and iPads even while they’re waiting during the eye exam,” said Michelle Duke, optometrist with the FYi Doctors in Strathmore.
“Because it’s such a new technology we aren’t fully aware of all the effects of it yet, although we know that there is eye strain definitely associated with technology use.
“More and more people are becoming more near-sighted … especially patients in their 20s and 30s who wouldn’t have had trouble in the past. I am seeing more and more patients coming in with headaches by the end of the day, sore eyes, tired eyes, red, dry and watery eyes which are all potential symptoms of digital eye strain.”
According to a survey conducted by the Alberta Association of Optometrists, more than 70 per cent of Albertans claim to have experienced symptoms such as headaches, sensitivity to light as a result of using a digital device, eye irritation, double vision and blurred vision. The survey also revealed Albertans spend an average of 10.5 hours daily using digital devices; three of those hours on work computers, two-and-a-half hours were reported watching television, two more hours on smartphones, two hours on home computers and laptops, and another hour on tablet devices.
With digital technology also playing a greater impact in classrooms, the association also found 28 per cent of parents said their children experienced symptoms during or after using their digital devices. These symptoms included headaches, excessive tearing, dry eyes, excessive blinking and squinting. Furthermore, the survey revealed children also exhibited symptoms of irritability, poor behaviour and a reduced attention span.
While Duke said no permanent damage has yet been linked to the effects from digital devices, a 2016 study from the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science stated six per cent of Canadian children ages six to eight developed myopia. For those aged 11 to 13 the numbers rose to 29 per cent. It is also estimated that for every hour a child spends outside, their odds of developing near-sightedness decreases by nearly 14 per cent.
“I always say try to decrease the amount of time that you’re looking at a digital screen, but it is the world we live in now,” Duke said.
“A couple of studies have actually shown that time spent outside seems to be preventative of near-sightedness. I’m not exactly sure why. Is it the vitamin D? Is it the sunshine? Is it fresh air?
Is it the fact that we generally tend to look further in the distance when we’re outside? Or maybe it’s a combination of all these things. But I tell my patients, who needs a better excuse to get outside?”
Duke has worked in Strathmore for the past eight years, and with a noticeable increase in people complaining from eyestrain, she recommends a 20-20-20 rule. The advice suggests looking up every 20 minutes for 20 seconds and looking 20 feet away. She said the exercise will relieve some pressure on the muscles that are too strained from focusing at something in close range for too long.
High amounts of blue light emitted from devices is also very stimulating and is known to affect the body’s regulatory system. Nowadays, lenses with a blue-blocking coating exist to counter the effect of blue light along with anti-fatigue lenses, an anti-reflective coating, and those lenses with a reading booster to help relax the eyes while viewing text and images on a computer screen. The Alberta Association of Optometrists also suggests increasing the text size on digital devices and adjusting the screen brightness to lessen eyestrain.
Duke suggests yearly routine check ups for seniors and for children older than six months, and once every two years for adults. The Alberta government covers the eye exam expense for children until the age of 19.
Dule said eye exams can be helpful – even for those with perfect vision – in catching other health concerns including blood pressure issues, diabetes and cancer.
“The eyes really tell us a lot about the overall health of a patient, and it’s the only non-invasive view of the blood vessels we have of the whole body,” she noted. “By looking at the blood vessels in the back of the eye we can really get a good sense of what’s happening in the circulation in the rest of the body. Even if the patients are 20/20 with no concerns and no headaches, we still recommend every two years getting an eye exam, because we can pick up so many subtle things and often be the first one to pick up a potential issue.”