How To Protect Your Eyes From Smartphone Strain?

Since the smartphone has entered our lives, our sleeping pattern has changed. And it comes as no surprise that checking notifications in bed can damage our eyesight. Researchers from the University of Toledo say that blue light from the smartphone screen can cause blindness. Yes, you read that right!

The study found that blue light gives rise to toxic reactions in retinal molecules that sense light and signals the brain. As a result, poisonous chemical reactions occur killing photoreceptors in the eyes, which can't be restored once they die.

A study published in the journal, Scientific Reports, says this leads to macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that causes blindness. Macular degeneration is also known as age-related macular degeneration and they are of two types - dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration.

When leaky blood vessels grow under the retina, it's called wet macular degeneration. And dry macular degeneration is when the centre of the retina deteriorates. Researchers are also studying what other impacts blue light coming from TVs, smartphones and tablets has on our health.

Here are some of the easy ways to save your eyes from the glare of the smartphone light.

1. Rest Your Eyes For A While

2. Blink Your Eyes More Often

3. Lower The Glare Of Your Smartphone

4. Hold Your Smartphone Farther

5. Switch Off Your Phone Before Bedtime

6. Adjust The Brightness And Contrast Of The Screen

7. Splash Your Eyes With Water

1. Rest Your Eyes For A While

Take a break from looking at your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds. And then look at something 20 feet away. Doing this will relax your eye muscles for a while and give your eyes some rest.

2. Blink Your Eyes More Often

When you are concentrating on your smartphone, your blink rate is decreased which can cause all the tears to dry from the surface of your eye leading to eye irritation, redness, pain and blurry vision.

Blinking more often will keep your eyes moist and reduce irritation and dryness. So, ensure that your blink your eyes about 10 times every 20 minutes.

3. Lower The Glare Of Your Smartphone

The screen glare can tire your eyes quickly, so ensure that your phone is equipped with an anti-glare glass. This will protect your eyes from the glare.

You could also download a light-reducing app to reduce the blue light on your device.

4. Hold Your Smartphone Farther

Generally, most of the people tend to hold their smartphone only about 8 inches from their faces to get a better or closer view. This isn't good for your eyes because the blue light can affect your eyes. Try holding your smartphone at least 16 to 18 inches away from your eyes. This might feel odd when you do it for the first time, but gradually you will get used to it.

5. Switch Off Your Phone Before Bedtime

According to the National Sleep Foundation, blue light can also affect your sleep by suppressing the production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin plays a key role in the regulation of sleep cycles and its production is influenced by the detection of blue light in your smartphones. So, switch your phone off at least 30 minutes before your bedtime.

6. Adjust The Brightness And Contrast Of The Screen

One of the ways to protect your eyes from the smartphone strain is to adjust the brightness and contrast of the screen. Having too high or too low screen brightness can cause strain to the eyes and your eyes won't be comfortable.

So, adjust the brightness and contrast settings accordingly to reduce the eye strain to a certain extent.

7. Splash Your Eyes With Water

Another way to save your eyes from the constant glare of the smartphone is to splash your eyes with normal water frequently. Splashing your eyes with water will ward away any irritants and reduce dryness in the eyes. It will lower problems like blurred vision and aid your eyes to focus better.

A smartphone is a necessary evil, but you can lessen the damage of your eyes by implementing these easy things.

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