Tired eyes from the smartphone. Does vision deteriorate in poor lighting? Do vitamins help in terms of evidence-based medicine? And blueberries

Smartphones are becoming more and more indispensable every day. With the development of new technologies, there are modern diseases such as screen myopia. When it hurts the eyes from the screen of the phone or other gadgets. But is this symptom so dangerous and is it worth limiting yourself in devices?

Work visual organ It is designed in such a way that we look into the distance without tension, and near it requires a greater effort of the intraocular muscles. The screen is always close to the face, so the smartphone hurts our eyes.

Parents limit their children's time at the computer (see), but forget that the phone is no less harmful. The time when it was used for its intended purpose has long passed, now it is a multifunctional device. The phone has even replaced books for us, but using smartphones to read can ruin your eyesight. At the same time, the eyes hurt no less from the tablet than from other gadgets.

With the introduction of smartphones, the eyes are increasingly deprived of rest. From constant voltage muscles develop a spasm of accommodation (disruption of the eye muscle when it is fixed in one position for a long time), they begin to hurt. Here is another reason why your eyes hurt from the phone.

On average, we pick up the phone about 150 times a day. This habit is so strong that we do not give up smartphones, even when our eyes start to hurt and there is a risk of bad eyesight. But still, it is in our power to reduce the negative impact of phones.

What to do so that your eyes do not hurt from the phone

Ophthalmologists have developed a number of simple measures to maintain good vision for longer.

Use of computer glasses

If you spend a lot of time on electronic devices, try using computer glasses to protect your retina. They contain special lenses that block dangerous UV rays by absorbing harmful radiation from the phone screen. The likelihood that the intraocular muscles will hurt is reduced.

If you don't like wearing glasses, then contact lenses with HD optics will be a great alternative.

Rest

Try to break away from your smartphone at least every 20 minutes. Look into the distance, looking at objects. It is especially useful to look at green things. It relaxes well, helping the eye muscles to hurt less.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is not only for the body, but also for the eyes. Do with your eyes simple exercises: circular rotations, diagonally, drawing eights, squares. There are several advantages here. Your brain will rest from changing the type of activity, blood circulation will improve, and your eyes will stop hurting.

blink

It has been proven that at the display of smartphones we blink about three times less than the prescribed 12 per minute. Drying out of the cornea can lead to inflammation. Remember to blink more often so that your eyes do not start to hurt.

Moisturizing

After a hard day at the screen of a smartphone, the eyes can become dry and red. You will feel how they began to bake, get sick or. Moisturizing eye drops or ointments will come to the rescue. A competent ophthalmologist will help you choose the right remedy.

Screen size

The modern telephone has become popular due to its wide range of features and convenient size. But it's better to get a phone or tablet with a large screen than to get myopia. A phone with a screen diagonal of less than seven inches (about 18 cm) increases visual load. If you have already managed to buy a smaller phone, then at least increase the font to a large one.

Distance

The closer we hold the phone, the sooner the spasm of the visual muscles will develop, the eyes will start to hurt. Hold the smartphone at a distance of 40 cm, this is approximately the length outstretched hand. For tablets, you can use special stands.

Flat back

In the neck area there are important vessels that feed the visual membranes with blood. When we stoop, the muscles compress the blood vessels, there is less nutrition. Keep an even posture, periodically tilt your head or massage the neck muscles. They will say thank you for it, ceasing to hurt.

Lighting

The phone has a brightness function in its settings. Use it in a way that makes it comfortable, or use auto-brightness, then the phone itself will adjust the position to the conditions of the external environment.

Reflections appear on the surface of the screen regardless of the lighting. Just stick the matte film on your phone. The problem is easily solved, and the smartphone will be protected from scratches.

It is worth knowing that shades of blue and violet are especially harmful to the retina. When choosing a smartphone, give preference to models with a display of natural, not too bright colors.

vitamins

With food, important vitamins for the eyes enter the bloodstream. Leading among them is vitamin A, aka retinol. Eat foods with the highest content. It is found in oranges sea ​​fish, carrots, blueberries. A couple of times a year you can take a course of vitamins.

If your world becomes empty without a book, and there is no way to carry a paper one with you, then you should think about its electronic substitute.

Advantages of an e-book over a smartphone:

• contains safe E-ink ink;
• requires rare recharging;
• pages are similar to ordinary paper;
• you can adjust the font size;
• The screen does not need a backlight.

In addition, we invite you to watch a video with proven secrets for restoring vision with a smartphone from Lyudmila Lazareva:

To maintain good vision for a long time without giving up modern devices, follow our tips. Share in the comments how else you protect yourself from the harmful effects of gadgets. Tell your friends about the article social networks.

People began to see worse. According to a study by the famous British oculist David Allambie, the number of myopic people has increased by 35% compared to 1997, when smartphones were not in sight, and mobile phones were just beginning to come into use. If the progression continues, by 2035 more than half of the world's people (55%) will have low vision.

Thanks to Allambie and his experiments, even special term – screen myopia.

Is vision really bad?

results these studies of British scientists can be trusted - confirm the experts of the Russian Institute of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Their report says that reading from a small screen, and even in an uncomfortable position, reduces vision many times faster than, say, reading a paper book at home in bed.

“Under attack” are mainly those users who, with the help of gadgets, brighten up trips in the subway, trains, and fixed-route taxis. Vibration, changing lighted and dark sections of the tunnel, swaying cars - all this makes it difficult to focus your eyes and makes you blink less often. In addition to visual impairment, the use of devices in transport can cause headaches and even nausea.

Are smartphones as harmful as computers?

No, smartphones and 7-inch tablets are much more damaging to vision than computers. Of course, the reason lies in the diagonal of the screen. To see what written in tiny , you have to bring the device too close to your eyes, and this negatively affects the concentration of vision and contributes to the destruction macula - part of the eye that allows a person to see fine details.

Are all phones equally harmful?

Renowned ophthalmologist Andrew Hepford warns that violet and blue hues cause the most damage to the eyes. From this point of view, it is worth "fearing" first of all displays, which are known for the uneven brightness of colors and the predominance of purple.

AMOLED displays have been installed on the company's devices for a long time, and their acidity(overly intense, implausible brightness) has become the talk of the town. It is clear that this characteristic also affects the eyes not in the best way.

How to use the gadget, so as not to plant vision?

There are many recommendations about this, but the main thing to keep an eye on is the distance from the smartphone to the eyes. A curious experiment organized by the American " Journal of Optometry and Vision Science» (« Journal of Optometry and Vision Science”) showed that out of 129 participants in the experiment, none of them kept the gadget at the required distance. People bring mobile devices to their faces, on average, 4-6 cm closer than allowed.

How far should you keep your smartphone?

In a publication of the same Journal» stated the rule « 1 – 2 – 10 ”, which everyone who wants to stay with good eyesight should follow. The rule says: smartphone screen must be placed 1 foot (30 cm) from face, computer monitor 2 feet (60 cm), " blue screen» TV - 10 feet (3 m).

Exercise "20-20-20" - what is it about?

« 20-20-20 "- a well-known exercise recommended by ophthalmologists and allowing you not to overload your eyes when working with a smartphone or computer. Every 20 minutes of operation, take your eyes off the monitor and focus for 20 seconds on a point approximately 6 meters (20 feet) away. This will be enough time for the eyes to get a well-deserved rest.

Is it possible to set the phone so that the vision does not sit down?

By adjusting the gadget settings, you can reduce Negative influence for sight. Primarily set a large enough font, so that the text on the screen is clearly visible from a distance of 30 cm. Android smartphones have fonts like “ Large" and " Huge". The size of the letters is adjusted by the slider, which can be found in the section " Text size» in the main settings.

Also you need to adjust the brightness. You need to proceed from how well the room is lit. Remember: when you had to look at an overly bright display in the dark, you felt physical pain. That's a lot of stress on the eyes! iPhone owners are advised to use the " auto brightness" (In chapter " Wallpaper and brightness"Settings) - it automatically adjusts the brightness of the display to external conditions and copes with it with a bang."

Adjust the gadget so that the vision does not sit down generally, will not succeed - for this you will have to completely abandon the use of mobile devices.

Is it possible to save vision thanks to mobile accessories?

Accessories can help too. When using a smartphone whose screen is glare, the user needs to be prepared for the fact that vision problems will not take long. Even small reflections lead to eye strain. Getting rid of glare is easy - you need to stick a matte film on the screen. This accessory is inexpensive and also durable. As a bonus, the matte film will protect the display from scratches and fingerprints.

Another useful tool is contact lenses with HD optics. Lenses reduce eye strain even when the user is reading from a mobile device in poor light or with regular light changes. Lenses with high-definition optics from the company are widely represented on the Russian market. Bausch & Lomb.

Proper nutrition - an assistant to an advanced user?

Vitamin A has a positive effect on vision. AT large quantities it is found in fish, blueberries, carrots, eggs - these are the products that should be emphasized in the diet of a person who suffers from "gadget addiction". However, it is important to remember that eating well is not enough to keep your eyesight. It has been calculated: in order to compensate for the damage that gadgets cause to the eyes, a person needs to eat 5-6 kg of carrots every day.

Should I be worried about my vision if I wear lenses or glasses?

Constant "talking" with a smartphone also has a negative impact on the vision of people who use contact lenses or wear glasses. If, for example, a person is forced to constantly “sit” on a smartphone or at a computer due to the duty of work, he is recommended to contact an ophthalmologist. The doctor will help you choose optics, taking into account the state of health of the eyes and professional activity person.

There are several recommendations for those who do not think of a trip to the subway or to fixed-route taxi without reading. First of all, such people should think about purchasing an e-book with technology e-ink. Such books do not have backlighting, their pages are visually similar to ordinary paper ones, the font size can be adjusted as you like - thanks to this, the negative impact on vision is minimal. Plus e-books e-ink is a long battery life - since energy is spent only on turning pages, the device can do without recharging for a whole month. Minus - high cost: e-books for recent times have risen in price all in all, and device e-ink will cost the buyer about 10 thousand rubles.

Paper literature should not be discounted either. When reading text from paper, the eyes strain much less than when concentrating on a tiny smartphone screen - therefore, the negative impact is lower. Objection what to buy real books are expensive, usually unreasonable. Business literature can really cost a pretty penny; art is sold in online stores Ozone and Book24 practically for nothing. Libraries have not been canceled either - here you can borrow a book for free.

Everyone knows that sitting at a computer monitor for a long time is harmful to the eyes. But few people know that smartphones do exactly the same harm. Meanwhile, the negative impact on vision that mobile phones have can be quite significant. After all, almost everyone today has a smartphone, and many spend more time with it than with a computer.

What do experts say about the impact of smartphones on our eyes? Today, ophthalmologists around the world believe that excessive use mobile phones and tablets leads to a massive deterioration in vision. For many people, serious long-term problems are likely in the future.

For example, the Journal of Optometry and Vision Science states that you should not keep a mobile device close to your eyes, otherwise your vision will deteriorate. According to research, when a person reads web pages on a smartphone, they hold it four to six centimeters closer to their eyes than when they type a message.

David Allambie, an eye surgeon and founder of the Focus Clinic in London, claims that since the mass adoption of smartphones, people's vision has deteriorated, on average, by 35% compared to 1997. The doctor even introduced a special term - "screen myopia".

Myopia or myopia arises from a combination of various factors: heredity, eye strain, constant focusing on close objects, for example, while reading. Using a smartphone is like reading. We bring the camera so close to our face that it becomes harder for our eyes to focus on the subject. The situation becomes even more critical if you use a Chinese device with a very poor resolution and a “blurred” picture.

But this is not the only harm that smartphones have. According to the findings of ophthalmologist Andrew Hepforth, the blue and violet light emitted from the screen is extremely dangerous for rear wall human eyes. Long term exposure Such light increases the risk of developing macular degeneration (dystrophy) of the retina. In addition, constant exposure to the glow of the smartphone screen can cause sleep disturbance and increased irritability.

The article by Dr. Ayad Al-Bermani, consultant ophthalmologist at the non-profit organization Nuffield Health, also confirms the negative impact of blue radiation that people receive while using mobile devices. Ayad Al-Bermani believes that the longer the wavelength of light, the more tired the eyes are from them. And, although blue radiation has one of the most short lengths waves, scattering and glare, it can penetrate deep into the eyes and, due to the cumulative effect, damage the health of the retina and aggravate the symptoms of macular degeneration in people who already have this disease.

About the harm that smartphones have on our visual function, says Spanish doctor Celia Sanchez-Ramos. He claims that long-term use of these devices can lead to the development partial blindness. His scientific work confirms the fact that the radiation of LED screens can lead to macular degeneration, especially in children and the elderly.

In addition, in a significant number of cases, LED screens have become the cause of such health problems as sleep and digestion disorders, chronic headaches, and many others.

One of the consequences of excessive enthusiasm for smartphones is asthenopia - a syndrome fatigue eye. If earlier asthenopia was manifested in representatives of the older generation, now schoolchildren and students are more and more exposed to it. Also, as a result of staring at the display screen, the concentration of the gaze is disturbed, pain occurs in the neck and shoulder girdle.

How to avoid or reduce the harmful effects on the eyes? Ophthalmologist Amanda Saint recommends taking frequent breaks from work, trying to avoid prolonged use of your smartphone or tablet in a dark room or in low light, and visiting your doctor regularly for eye exams.

Several ways to keep your eyesight in order

1. Blink more often. When a person looks at a smartphone screen, his eyes blink three times less than usual. This causes dry eyes, which can harm your eyesight. Try to blink more often.

2. The 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take your eyes off the screen and look 6 meters (20 feet) away for 20 seconds.

3. Watch out for lighting. Do not read, watch movies, or play games on your smartphone in a dark room or in low light conditions.

4. Don't look at your phone when you're being talked to. During communication, do not look at the smartphone screen.

5. Only on a computer. Limit your work with your smartphone. For example, make it a rule never to go on social media and check email from your mobile device.

6. Increase the font. In the smartphone settings, set the font size to "Huge" or at least "Large".

7. Hold it right. Hold the smartphone at a distance of 40 cm from your eyes.

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There are unchanging traditions that parents around the world follow, passing on their beliefs to the younger generation. For example, many people believe that you should not wear other people's glasses or that you can go blind from watching TV for too long. These beliefs are nothing more than myths. Let's learn more about eye stereotypes.

You can't open your eyes underwater

Different types of water should be taken into account. For example, swimming pool water can really affect your eyesight because it contains chlorine, which is used for disinfection. Worn-out sewer pipes in an old house can be a source of harmful microorganisms, so you should not open your eyes in the bath either - otherwise you may experience irritation or conjunctivitis. Pure fresh water great for swimming open eyes, but only if you are sure of the environmental friendliness of the reservoir. In salt water, you can also open your eyes, but with high concentration salt it will be uncomfortable. For example, in the Baltic Sea you can open your eyes, but in the Mediterranean or the Red Sea you should not. One way or another, always open your eyes underwater slowly so as not to encounter unpleasant sensations.

Welding can cause blindness

Many people believe that looking at welding is harmful because it can cause blindness. In fact, such an effect is impossible. However, you may burn your eyes. Welders do not accidentally cover their faces - masks protect them from sparks and strong radiation. Otherwise, there is no reason to fear blindness.

Computer and television screens are harmful to health

Have you ever watched the players in computer games? They blink about once every two minutes, but the norm is once every fifteen to twenty seconds. When you sit in front of a screen, you don't notice how often you blink. Infrequent blinking can cause your eyes to dry out. This causes fatigue, eye strain, and can lead to blurred vision. However, this is the only harm that modern screens can do to your eyes. You have no reason to be afraid that your eyes will be damaged while watching TV or using electronic gadgets.

Vision problems are inherited

This is a common stereotype. In fact, poor eyesight is not genetically transmitted. The predisposition can be inherited, however, vision problems can be avoided. It all depends on the lifestyle, profession, bad habits, eye strain.

Glasses only make things worse.

Many people are convinced that glasses are a sign that you have given up in the fight against poor eyesight and accepted their fate. In fact, glasses simply help the eye to adapt to the necessary conditions. This means that this is not a simulator or a medicine, but simply a device that helps you see well with the condition of your eyes that you have.

Blueberries improve eyesight

Many people believe that the constant use of blueberries and carrots will help strengthen vision. In fact, for a significant effect, you need to eat about six kilograms of carrots and several buckets of blueberries. Therefore, it is better to simply consume vitamins made from concentrated extracts.

You can't twitch when you look at your nose

Some are convinced that if a person twitches in fright when he squints his eyes to look at his nose, then they will remain oblique. This is absolutely not true! Even if you squint your eyes, the maximum that threatens you is unpleasant feeling associated with fatigue in tense muscles. Basically, you always squint your eyes slightly when looking at something close under your nose. Whether you're scared or not, your eyes definitely won't stay that way forever.

Can't watch TV in the dark

Even if you regularly watch TV in the dark, you are unlikely to damage your eyesight much. It just can cause eye strain, so a little lighting will still do the trick.

Can't read lying down

In fact, you can read while lying down. Studies have even shown that people with myopia can slow down the progression of the disease if they read while lying on their back.

It is dangerous to wear someone else's glasses

Your eyesight will not deteriorate if you try on someone else's glasses. Just don't wear them all the time because it will strain your eyes too much.

The sun can blind you

You won't go blind, you just might get retinal burns. To do this, you do not need to look directly at the sun, just look at reflective surfaces such as snow, sand or water, which enhance the effect of ultraviolet radiation.

Sunglasses should only be worn in summer

Snow reflects ultraviolet light and can be quite dangerous to the eyes. People who wear sunglasses even in winter are doing the right thing. It is no coincidence that the inhabitants of the northern regions used hand-made sunglasses from a long time ago.

Mobile digital devices are now always at hand. A small smartphone combines the functions of many devices. Previously, all these gadgets would not fit in a suitcase, but now they are available as options in a small smartphone. However, it is this accessibility that can play a cruel joke with us.

Work and leisure "in one bottle"

In the age of speed, it is important to respond quickly to incoming information, and this privilege is now available to everyone. But aren't we too carried away? Using digital devices for work purposes, we can no longer tear ourselves away from them. And now we can’t imagine leisure without them: reading books, watching movies, searching for information on the Internet, chatting in social networks, taking photos and videos and much more - everything is now available to the smartphone user. It has amazing functionality!

Not without flaw

But everything has its weak sides, and this wonderful picture is spoiled by statistics, the numbers of which are disappointing. According to her data, general state people's vision has deteriorated by 35% compared to 1997, when smartphones began to gain popularity. In 10 years, the number of people diagnosed with myopia will increase by another 50%. As a result this study conducted by an eye surgeon from London, the term "screen myopia" appeared.

Smartphones are forcing us to wear glasses earlier

Everyone knows that active use of a computer can impair vision. But users of digital devices somehow lose sight of the fact that a small smartphone can cause no less damage to the eyes. Moreover, if, using a computer, we maintain a distance without resting our noses on the monitor, the situation with a smartphone is different. We bring it too close to our face, trying to make out the small print on the screen of the device. All this adversely affects vision. If earlier vision problems began, as a rule, after forty, now the risk group has increased significantly. It includes active users of digital devices - smartphones, tablets, and these are older children, teenagers and people under the age of 35.

Experts say that prolonged concentration of vision on a small object leads to eye irritation. Gadgets have a negative impact on the health of the younger generation, and doctors are seriously concerned about this fact. Children who constantly look at the monitor grow up, as a rule, myopic. In general, people began to use glasses or much earlier.

Work for wear and tear - in the service without days off and holidays!

By introducing a smartphone into everyday life, we have deprived our eyes of rest. They are always on edge now. We can say that we took away their weekends and holidays!

Breaking out into nature on a weekend, device owners constantly check for anything new. Even on vacation, the hand reaches for the smartphone. This addiction can deprive you of visual acuity.

What to do?

There's a lot different ways relieve eye strain when reading from the screens of mobile devices. If you constantly use digital devices, I advise you to listen to the helpful tips that follow.

6 useful tips eye care for digital device lovers

1) Don't forget to blink

When using a smartphone or other digital device we forget to blink. Blinking is a natural tear film renewal process that cleans the surface of the eye and keeps the cornea moist. Experts report that looking at the screen of a smartphone, we blink three times less often. When you look at the screen for a long time, your eyes dry out and start to hurt. With regular blinking, this problem can be eliminated.

When blinking frequently, the eye has to refocus on the screen, which reduces eye strain. Experts advise blinking every 4 seconds to prevent dry eyes, clear dust and toxins from the eyes.

If dry eye syndrome is yours weakness, use .

2) Adjust the parameter settings to suit you

· Enlarge font

Make it easy! You don't have to squint your eyes to see the fine print. Go to your smartphone settings and set a larger font size there.

Because of the small font, you have to bring the smartphone to your face. Most people hold their smartphone at a distance of 10 centimeters from their face. Experts recommend setting a greater distance. The smartphone should be at a distance of 40 centimeters from the eyes (or at least 30 cm) to reduce eye strain.

· Adjust the screen brightness level

In addition to the font, you can also adjust the screen brightness level. The ability of the eyes to focus may be impaired by a screen that is too bright or too dim. If the screen is too bright, the eyes will be stressed when switching to the screen of the device. A screen that is too dim increases eye strain.

3) Keep your device at eye level

Position your phone so that you can comfortably read the text on the screen. To do this, the device must be held at eye level. This will avoid eye strain, which can later worsen vision.

4) Take breaks more often

If you read or watch something for too long and intensely, you can "plant" your vision. Be sure to take breaks! It is necessary to periodically increase the distance between the eyes and the object that you are looking at.

Remember the rule of twenty: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break, during which it is desirable to shift your vision to some distant object located at a distance of 20 feet (6 meters).

Refocusing your vision to a more distant object is good for eye health. If you do not do this, the ciliary muscles of the eyes, which control focal length the lens, and this is fraught with visual impairment. The accommodative ability of the lens decreases, its flattening occurs. It loses its elasticity, and the person loses the ability to refocus vision.

If you feel that your eyes are tired, you need to relax and rest. To do this, do the following exercise.

· Sit at the table and lean on it with your elbows. Keep your back straight.

Close your eyes and cover them with your hands. Palms should be warm. Cool palms need to be warmed up with your hands, and then applied to your eyes. Only warmth can induce relaxation.

Sit in this position for 5-10 minutes. The muscles must be relaxed.

· After this exercise will be followed by a surge of vivacity, and then you can get back to work.

5) The miser pays with health

When buying a smartphone or tablet, do not save on it. Use mobile devices with high screen resolution. The picture on such a screen will be clearer. Buying an inexpensive device with a low resolution, you will have to be content with blurry images, which increase eye strain, and, accordingly, impair vision.

Saving will cost you more - you will lose your sight, and you can not buy it for any money.

6) Make regular visits to the ophthalmologist or optometrist

This advice is universal for everyone. It is useful even if you are not using a mobile device. Regular visits to the doctor will help you diagnose eye disease in time. Upon reaching the age of forty, it is necessary to undergo an examination up to 2-3 times a year.