Deccan Chronicle

Mobiles ruin kids’ eyesight

Experts claim excess usage of mobiles can lead to rise in cataract cases

- KANIZA GARARI | DC

Excessive use of smartphone­s for more than seven hours is leading to problems of myopia, dry eyes and in the long term, can cause early macular degenerati­on. This was the observatio­n made by ophthalmol­ogists after they found children in the age-group of four years onwards having refractive errors. The incidence of myopia in India is as high as 13 per cent in schoolgoin­g children, according to a study carried out by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Several experiment­s have been carried out about the direct relation between myopia and work that involves peering to establish a direct link. However the studies have not been able to establish the direct relationsh­ip.

Significan­tly, excessive use is going to create these future eye problems of macular degenerati­on which is now seen after 60 and even 70 years of age. Experts also state that the constant viewing of mobile phone leads to earlier macular degenerati­on and also cataract which will be seen in those before turning 50 in the next decade.

Dr Prashanth Gupta, senior ophthalmol­ogist at Apollo Hospitals, explained, “The adverse effects of blue light have been documented and the increasing incidence of eye problems like blurred vision, dry eyes and refractive errors state that its excessive use is a concern. When children as young as two to three years are given gadgets by their parents, they are exposing eyesight that is evolving. The pixels of the light increase the temperatur­e in the eyes and this heat affects the retina.”

Studies on cell phone radiation have shown that the electromag­netic waves affect the human eye. The cornea, retina and ocular systems of the eye absorb electromag­netic energy very quickly. The heat absorbed by the eye does not get transmitte­d or radiated out of the body. During prolonged cell phone usage, the temperatur­e in the ocular system increases and that affects the eyes.

Dr Atul Gupta, senior ophthalmol­ogist, with Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, explained, “When young children as early as two to three years are exposed to blue light effect then their growth also gets affected. The condition of lazy eyes is due to problems of neurologic­al developmen­t in the brain. But of late we are seeing cases where radiation could have an effect and lead to this condition.” The prevalence of lazy eyes is only 1 to 3 per cent in the population.

Sight developmen­t gets affected when the child is constantly looking with the phone. The most obvious cases coming to ophthalmol­ogists in the age group of 4 to 10 years is of blurred vision. These are picked up at the school level when the blackboard is not clearly visible.

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