ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Did you know that the average US adult will spend the equivalent of 44 years of their life staring at screens? While blue light is essential for regulating our circadian rhythm, its overexposure can lead to a multitude of issues, including eye strain and cognitive dysfunctions. Ophthalmologist, Alan Mendelsohn, warns of the hazards.
Doctor Mendelsohn explains, “There’s some blue light that’s high energy visible light, but it’s harmful and that’s what causes the digital eye strain – that’s what can lead to macular degeneration.”
The consequences of blue light don’t stop at eye strain. Studies indicate that being exposed to blue light before bedtime can disrupt our sleep patterns, leading to a reduction in melatonin production. This disruption of our circadian rhythm has been linked to the onset of sleep disorders, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and even an increased risk of cancer.
Doctor Mendelsohn says, “It’s very frequent to start getting headaches. We just start feeling kind of crummy, vision is blurring up.”
Doctor Mendelsohn offers a practical tip to protect your eyes. “So, the first thing anyone can do right now starting today, you should be holding devices further away … distance is crucial.”
He also sheds light on how specialized lenses can offer a shield against prolonged screen exposure. “With the yellow chromophore pigment embedded within the lens somebody can be on their desktop, laptop, iPad all day long – they’re safe, they’re protected.”
With ways to balance the risks of blue light.
A report by UC Davis Health reveals that consistent exposure to blue light can play a role in the development of cataracts, eye cancer, and abnormal growths on the clear covering of the eye.
Contributors to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor and Videographer.
Sources:
BLUE LIGHT EXPOSURE: UNVEILLING THE EFFECTS
REPORT #3144
BACKGROUND: Excessive screen time has become an integral part of modern living, with people spending significant amounts of time on smartphones, tablets, computers, and other digital devices. While technology has brought numerous benefits, there is growing concern about the potential impact of prolonged screen time on cognitive functions. Several studies suggest a correlation between excessive screen time and cognitive dysfunction, particularly in attention, memory, and executive functions. Some studies have even linked too much screen time to insomnia, depression, and anxiety. The average person in the United States has a screen time of six hours and 48 minutes with Gen Z averaging nine hours per day looking at a phone or computer screen. Daily screentime usage has increased by almost 50 minutes per day since the year 2013. Ninety-point-nine percent of people use the internet and their cellular devices to screen their favorite tv shows and movies adding to the increase. The largest screentime using countries are South America, Africa, and Asia.
(Source: https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/research/screen-time-statistics
THE STUDY: Studies from Ophthalmologists show that some blue light energy is the high blue light that causes digital eye strain and can lead to macular degeneration. These studies also show that too much blue light before falling asleep can cause a disruption in our sleep patterns that reduces the amount of melatonin that our bodies create. This can cause a disruption in the body’s circadian rhythm and is linked to various sleeping disorders, Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even life-threatening conditions. Headaches and blurry vision are both clear indicators that your blue light exposure is too high. Too much blue light exposure can be helped by holding devices further away from the face and purchasing specialized blue light glass lenses with the yellow chromophore pigment embedded in the lens. Nearly three out of four parents say their children aged two and younger watch TV on a screening device and 90 percent of children use screening devices to watch TV as well adding to the impending epidemic.
NEW RESEARCH: New studies have linked too much screen time to a breakdown in attention span and executive function when it comes to impulse control. The study by Science Alert found this was due to being overly bombarded by different algorithms and features designed to capture and contain all of our attention. According to the Science Alert study, “Crucially, impaired attention also makes it harder to disengage from addictive behaviors and would therefore make it harder to recognize when screen use has become a problem.” They found that by turning focus away so frequently, screen use will weaken the ability to concentrate on multiple things at a time over an extended period of time.
* For More Information, Contact:
Karen Dennis
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