Do smartphones affect my eyesight?

What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Probably check your smartphone, along with 61% of the world's population. Smartphones have evolved from being simply a want to becoming a need for us. We may know all the joys it has brought us but do we know the toll using smartphones takes on us?

You’re about to find out.

Smartphones, or any other smart devices, emit a High-Energy Visible (HEV) light also known as blue light. This blue light comprises of light with the shortest wavelenghts in the visible light spectrum, therefore carrying the greatest potential to damage living tissue.

Too much exposure, such as staring at your smartphone or any smart devices, can cause the tissue in the retina to be damaged in a way that’s consistent with the damages that appear in macular degeneration, a leading cause of permanent vision loss. However, there is insufficient research done and we cannot confirm if our use of smart devices causes sufficient exposure to HEV light that can cause permanent damage to the eye.

HEV light is also known to disrupt sleep. The bright blue light interferes with the brain's production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep cycle. Not having enough sleep translates to a long list of associated health consequences.

Not to mention, being exposed to HEV light also results in having to open our eyelids wider and blinking lesser because of we are consistently focused towards the screen. This causes fatigue to kick in even faster, thus causing blurrier vision or even migraines.

Having said that, all could be avoided should one discipline themselves to follow two very simple steps.

First, keep your smartphones or devices as far from your eyes as comfortably possible. The greater the distance, the less likely your eyes will strain.

Second, for every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look away into the distance. This helps to relax the focusing muscles in your eyes and stimulates blinking, which helps to remoisten the surface of the eyes.

These aren’t the only two tricks up our sleeves we have to share. We have an entire blogpost dedicated to eye-relaxing tips. Want to know more? Click here to head there and read now!