Is Technology Changing Your Eyes?

I'm very excited to introduce a fellow blogger, named Lisa, who has helped me tremendously in the blogging world. She is a very talented person and has the ability to inspire others. So here is her post. I hope you like it and check out her website.

Is Technology Changing Your Eyes? 

Does the new technology of TVs, Smartphone’s, iPads and tablets affect your eyes and your health? 

If your day starts like mine, with checking the time on your Smartphone and scanning emails there before having that first cup of coffee while warming up the laptop, you may notice a change in vision. CVS (computer vision syndrome) includes dry eyes, headaches, burning eyes, sensitivity to light and even pains in the neck. I can vouch for the pain in the neck when I was working on our first website and spending 12-14 hour days on weekends and nights after being on a computer at my day job. 

Some people struggle to read computer monitors because the characters and images are not clear or the screen is obscured by glare or reflections and may cause CVS.  Anytime you spend 2 or more hours in front a TV or computer screen without a break it can cause CVS to begin. Many people will not blink as often in front of a computer screen, this will lead to the dry eye syndrome. So remember, blink once in a while in front of that computer!

Many eye care practitioners who specialize in children's vision believe prolonged computer use among children puts them at risk for progressive myopia. Myopia is nearsightedness - a vision condition, in which close objects are seen clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred. Heredity seems to play a significant role in the development of myopia in childhood, and some research suggests that eye strain and specifically computer eye strain, also may be involved.

To see clearly up close, the eye has to exert a focusing effort. Some researchers feel that fatigue caused by excessive focusing can lead to changes within the eye that cause myopia. And experts agree that focusing on images on a computer screen causes greater eye fatigue than reading normal print in a book or magazine.

To reduce the risk of focusing fatigue that can cause advancing nearsightedness among children who spend hours of time on a computer, many eye doctors recommend frequent breaks from computer work. Some call this the "20-20-10" rule: Every 20 minutes your child should take his eyes off the computer and look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 10 seconds.

This simple exercise relaxes the focusing muscle inside the eye and may help reduce eye strain and eye fatigue that could cause progressive myopia. Some eye doctors also recommend special computer glasses to help relieve eye strain. 

Sony and Nintendo both came out with warnings for parents of children who watch 3D especially on Play station and Nintendo - that parents of young children should consult their eye doctors before watching and using 3D gaming as their eyes are still developing probably the manufactures were afraid of being sued over it, but the  American Optometric Association has stated that 3-D is safe and is an appropriate technology for all viewing audiences.  Children who cannot watch 3D may be signaling an eye problem such as lazy eye and can be brought to the forefront sooner with parents noticing this with 3D viewing.  Most eye care professionals agree that 3D viewing is safer for the eyes.  10% of TV’s are now being made with this new 3D technology.

Have you noticed any changes in your vision or health with the use of this new technology?

By Lisa Buben, Blogger at Inspire to Thrive and with her husband at High Technology Scrubs – Latest on Infectious Disease and How High Tech Scrubs Can Help You Fight Them