Glued to gadgets, kids complain of dry eyes

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 19

Gone are the days when children used to go out and play in the ground, Today, they remain at home glued to gadgets or smartphones. Children playing for hours on mobile phones and tablets or watching videos on YouTube have become a norm. But on the flip side, this is taking a toll on their health.

Children complain of dry eyes due to the prolonged use of gadgets. Every day, doctors in the city get such patients.

“Parents usually come to us with refractive errors. They say their children play games on the gadgets for several hours. This is the reason for dry eyes. This problem is called the computer vision syndrome,” said Dr Nitin Batra, head of the eye department, Christian Medical College and Hospital.

He further said computer professionals also such faced the problem of dry eyes. “As a precaution, children and computer professionals should take a break after every 20 minutes and blink their eyes.”

Dr Sahil Goel, an ophthalmologist at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, said that using gadgets for a long time could dry the cornea and, in that scenario, it could get irritating.

“Children are using gadgets for a long time, resulting in weak eyesight. They must take break regularly after a few minutes,” Dr Goel added.

How to protect eyes 

• Reduce the screen brightness
• Try to wear anti-glare glasses
• Enlarge the text on screen
• Use good lighting