Video games are quite among children and adults these days. It is not a hobby anymore but has turned into this unique career choice that more and more people are embracing. They are participating in tournaments and uploading their videos on YouTube and Twitch to earn money.
While it’s good that this has opened a new career choice for people, everything comes with a price. And in this case, your eyes are paying the price. If you are a parent wondering if too much screen time will damage your child’s eyesight, the simple answer is yes, it will.
Video games are such an addiction that we lose track of time. Screen time has an impact on both your physical and mental well being. One major area of concern is your vision.
How does gaming affect your eyesight?
No matter which screen the blue light comes from, it’s always dangerous for your eyesight. It is damaging and atrocious to the tiny photoreceptor cells on your retinal wall.
Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum that’s anything but good for your eyes. Even though you get it from sunlight, it’s even worse when it comes from your digital screens.
Exposure to blue light has both temporary and long term consequences. The threat depends on your screen time consumption habits.
When you focus on a digital screen for a long time without using prescription blue light glasses, the following risks are more likely to roll down your way.
1. Digital eye strain
It refers to the eye pain and other physical symptoms your body experiences when you spend a little longer on your devices. When playing motion games, the images on your screen are constantly moving to make your eyes work hard to focus on those images. As a result, your eyes get tired only in a short amount of time. This problem is also known as computer vision syndrome.
2. Macular degeneration
Screen time triggers the release of a toxic substance in the tissues of your macula (the part of your eye that gives you central vision). As a result, you start to lose your visual acuity and performance.
The macula is designed to naturally eliminate the harsh UV rays. But when it is damaged, UV rays enter your eyes more easily and lead to further destruction.
3. Night blindness
Blue light targets the light-sensing cells located on the retina. Hence, the ability of your eyes to see in low light levels decreases and you have to deal with poor night vision. However, night blindness can also be genetic. If you already have this problem, order glasses online that enhance your vision in the dark.
4. Focusing problems
Focusing your eyes at a particular distance for hours can make them inflexible. As a result, your eyes may not be able to see clearly at all distances. This situation could even lead to myopia or nearsightedness. Increasing screen time is a major cause of vision problems in kids all over the world.
5. Dry eye syndrome
When we stare at a screen, our blinking rate goes down. When your eyes don’t get enough lubrication, they run dry which leads to ocular irritation. Dry eyes are an invitation to a number of eye problems and even pave ways for blue light and UV penetration.
How should you protect your eyes?
Gaming is a fun activity but we doubt your eyes feel the same. It puts a lot of stress on your peepers and hampers their functioning.
Here are a few steps to help you dodge the harms of blue light associated with gaming.
- Wear gaming glasses that are solely designed to ward off the blue light. You can get these gaming glasses in the UK from any optical store or online glasses store.
- Take the focus away from your gaming monitor from time to time. It will keep you safe from any focusing problem you may have to face from excessive gaming.
- Take proper doses of vitamin A, C and E from your diet. These are some of the nutrients that improve your eye health.
- Eat fatty fishes to dodge the problem of dry eye syndrome.
- Sleep for at least 8 hours a day to let your eyes take some rest.
- Sit at a distance from your monitor so you don’t let more blue light into your eyes.
- Take a few minutes off your screen. Do this every 20 minutes and try not to look at a screen during the breaks.
If your child indulges in excessive gaming, get his/her eyes tested every two years. Make sure they are wearing protective gear so their screen habits don’t get in the way of the development of their eyes.
