Mobile .. Its harms to the eye and ways to avoid it

Written by - Nourhan Ashraf

Many - children and adults - can no longer do without using mobile phones and electronic devices, whether for entertainment, following social media, or for work, so what are the harms of looking at these screens for long periods on eye health?

Dr. Mohamed Hosni Nasef, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Eye Surgeon, confirmed that looking at electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers for long periods, especially at a close distance from the eye, directly affects the health of the eyes of both children and adults, and leads to some health problems, the most prominent of which are:

- Eye strain.

- Headache.

- Eye inflammation.

- Dry eyes.

- Changes in color perception.

- Swelling around the eye, and the appearance of dark circles.

- Blurred vision and double vision.

Dr. Nasef pointed out several tips that should be followed for the health and strengthening of children's eyes and avoiding the harms of mobile phones and electronic devices, the most prominent of which are:

- Eating carrots, fruits and vegetables regularly.

- Eat salmon, olive oil and walnuts because they are good for eye health.

- Drink plenty of water and fluids to reduce dry eyes and maintain their hydration.

- Children under 7 years old should not stay in front of the computer for more than an hour a day, divided into 3 times, each time 20 minutes.

There are guidelines that must be followed by those who use computers and mobile phones a lot in their work, according to Nasef, the most prominent of which are:

- Move the eyes away from the screen and close them for five minutes every hour, as an exercise to strengthen the eyes.

- Rest period every hour at most.

- Clean the screen from time to time.

- Place the screen half a meter away from the eye, and your eye level is higher than the screen level.

- Use appropriate lighting in the environment surrounding the device.

The ophthalmology consultant advised the necessity of conducting periodic preventive examinations to detect early problems they are exposed to in the eyes, which can be treated successfully when children are young, due to the difficulty of treating them when they grow up.