January 20, 2017 It’s no news that staring at cell phones damages our sight, but it seems that the youngest of us – the most endangered ones, are not aware of that quite enough…
Most people know that excessive staring at cell phones can damage our health, but a new study shows that smartphones are even more unhealthy than you think, especially when it comes to eyes. A study published in the journal BMC Opthalmology revealed that children who spend more time using cell phones have more symptoms of dry eye syndrome. In children who were deprived of smartphones for one month, the symptoms subsided.
Dry eye or xerophthalmia condition in when the eyes do not have enough tears, causing redness, swelling and eye irritation. It is usually associated with older people, but specialists believe that this condition in children is underestimated. When we stare at screens and monitors, we blink less, which leads to increased evaporation of the tear film and increases the likelihood of dry eye disease.
The study analyzed 916 Korean children between seven and 12 years of age. In about seven percent of them enough symptoms were found to diagnose dry eye condition.
It was found that 97 percent of children with this condition in an averageused smartphone more than three hours a day. The others, on average, used the device 37 minutes a day.
Taken from: www.slobodnadalmacija.hr