Warning of "eye strain syndrome" for those exposed to digital screens

Ophthalmologist Prof. Dr. Arif Koytak told an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter that digital screens have become a central part of daily life for the last 15-20 years, explaining that staring intently at devices like cell phones, tablets, and computers for long periods of time has negative effects on eye health.

Koytak stated that the most common symptom of "digital eye strain syndrome" is dry eyes, adding that burning, stinging, a foreign body sensation, redness and the need to scratch in the eye, as well as difficulty focusing, temporary or permanent blurred vision, a feeling of heaviness, drowsiness, pain and headaches are also common.

Pointing out that looking at close objects tires the eye muscles at all ages, Koytak continued:

Muscles are constantly working and active. After a while, they start to tire. When we look at something intently, our blink rate decreases. Normally, we blink 15 to 20 times a minute when we're at rest, and this reorganizes tear distribution, but when we're looking at something intently, especially at screens, this number drops to 5-6. This causes dry eye symptoms.

Koytak, noting that the varying light intensity on digital screens also fatigues the eye muscles, said, "Exposing the eye to different intensities of light when scrolling or moving from page to page tires the muscles within the eye. Combined, these factors lead to some or all of the symptoms we call digital eye strain syndrome in people who look at digital screens for more than two hours a day."

Prof. Dr. Koytak said that this situation is experienced by 70-80 percent of the working population and that daily screen time reaches an average of 6-8 hours.

Although it does not cause permanent damage, it reduces performance.

Koytak stated that although eye strain syndrome does not cause permanent damage, it reduces performance and can have negative effects if left untreated, and offered the following suggestions:

The first thing we need to consider is that if we have a vision impairment and need to wear glasses, we should first put them on and look at the screen. People over the age of 40-45 often need reading glasses when working at a desk, looking at a screen or a mobile phone. They should definitely wear reading glasses with prescriptions adjusted for the computer screen. Reducing screen time is often impossible. Therefore, we should work gradually, resting our eyes. We can rest our eyes for 5 minutes every half hour or 10 minutes every hour. Closing our eyes, or if that's not possible, focus on an object, object, or landscape at least 4 meters or more away, not at close range, to relax the muscles inside our eyes. We should repeat the normally involuntary blinking movement we normally do when working in front of a screen, blinking every now and then whenever we remember.

Koytak stated that the distance from the screen should be at least 50-60 centimeters, and the screen should be positioned 10 degrees below eye level.

Prof. Dr. İbrahim Arif Koytak stated that the sitting posture, chair height, and neck position should also be appropriate when looking at a digital screen, and that those working at a desk should not choose laptops because they are closer to the eyes and require the head to be bent forward.

Emphasizing the importance of sleep for the eyes, Koytak said, "No matter how hard we work during the day, we need to rest our eyes at night. We rest the muscles in and around the eye, as well as the cells in our retina, while we sleep."