Visual fatigue taking a toll on gadget addicts

Eye care specialists note that symptoms like tired and weary eyes, headaches, blurred vision, itching and burning are being reported by many people in the city every day

Rohit (30), who works with a legal process outsourcing unit, reported to a doctor recently with recurrent headaches, weariness and burning in the eyes. When the doctor asked him to calculate the total number of hours he spent glaring on a computer, phone and a television, the number stood at a staggering 15-16 hours a day.

Rohit is not an aberration but a norm today in a world where smart devices and gadgets have become the prime drivers. Visual fatigue is a major health concern that has seen a spurt in recent years, thanks to the technology and packed lifestyles. Eye specialists say the concern is particularly high among youngsters because they are the ones who are more active users of electronic devices like computers and smartphones.

“Without active realisation, it has almost become a lifestyle. For almost two years since I acquired a smartphone, the last thing I did before sleeping was surf on my device and the first thing I did on waking up was check my device for messages. The day would be spent working in front of computers and nights would include television and smart devices, with the eyes continuously focused on a screen but for the time I slept. Even on my way traveling to the workplace and back, I was hooked to my device.

It was but inevitable that my eyes would feel the strain,” says Rohit. According to different researches and estimates, the average time spent in front of the computers has increased by 65 per cent over the past five years. Also 80 per cent of the time is spent indoors surrounded by harmful artificial light and air conditioning. All this makes it clear that the eyes have developed new needs. Tired and weary eyes, headaches, blurred vision, itching and burning are symptoms that more and more people are reporting every day.

Shivkumar J, CEO of Essilor India, says the trend drove the company to introduce a visual fatigue specific lens to meet the needs of people whose are constantly under electronic stress. “The needs of the eyes today are not the same as they were 10 years back. Today, there is no escape from computer screens and smart devices; most of us are on the systems for hours at a stretch. Even after work hours, our eyes continue to feel the stress as we surf through the internet, watch TV and use smartphones.

Most of us are glued to our devices even as we are on the road travelling from work to home and vice versa. These changed circumstances need extra care to reduce visual fatigue on the eye. This increasing demand of technology on the eye needs a technology-drive solution. This led us to manufacture and introduce Crizal Anti-Fatigue lens for use in spectacles,” says Shivkumar. The anti fatigue lens combines far vision correction and unique features to reduce visual fatigue and is ideal for people in the age bracket of 20-35 years as well as for eyeglass wearers. It reduces visual fatigue by 50 per cent.