5 TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR EYES FROM BLUE LIGHT

Work-from-home has become the new norm as implemented by most of the businesses across UAE and the extended use of computers and mobile devices may affect our vision because of harmful blue light emissions.

Constant exposure to blue light not only affects our vision but also our body, including changes in our body’s biological clock and can lead to various conditions such as dry and tired eyes, blurred vision and difficulty in focusing and sometimes even progressive loss of vision. To ensure your sleep is not affected, it is recommended to not use any tech for one hour before you go to sleep.

If you have to use tech when at home, you can use it moderately and by ensuring your eyes are protected from the harmful emission. Here are five tips to protect you and your loved one’s eyes from the blue light from devices:

1. Avoid over exposure to screens or reduce screen time significantly for kids – the recommended screen time for kids is just 30-45 min per day while adults are recommended to use tech as less as possible.
2. Turn Blue light filters on mobiles – A majority of today’s phones come with a blue light filter setting. Enabling this on your phone lets you filter out blue light and adjust the warmth of the colours in your display.
3. Use Blue light blocking technology – If you are a person that uses tech heavily, consider getting spectacles with blue light blocking technology.
4. Keep Lubricating drops handy – Your eyes tend to get dry when you focus on screens for too long. Lubricating drops are sold over the counter that you can use based on how dry the eye is. If the problem persists, it is best to get your eyes tested by an ophthalmologist.
5. Remember the 20/20/20 rule –The famous rule says that for every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, one should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This gives your eyes time to recover and lets you take frequent breaks from constant screen time.

Dr. Anurag Mathur

Specialist Opthalmologist at Aster Clinic, Bur Dubai