According to the World Health Organization, there are an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide who live with some form of poor vision. Of these, nearly 360 million people have blindness or severe visual impairment. Poor eyesight can profoundly impact a person’s quality of life and can lead to difficulties in work, education, and social interactions.
Several causes of poor eyesight include refractive error (nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism), cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. In many cases, poor eyesight can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. However, poor vision can be a lifelong problem for those who live in developing countries without access to eye care.
Some organizations are working to improve access to eye care in developing countries. One such organization is the InfantSEE program, which provides free eye exams for infants in the United States. Another is the VisionSpring initiative, which works to provide eyeglasses to people in developing countries who cannot afford them.
However, digital technology also plays a fundamental part in correcting people’s eyesight because, to a certain extent, it’s also responsible for it.
Eye Exposure to Digital Tech
A growing body of evidence suggests that too much time spent staring at screens can lead to many problems, including dry eye, headaches, and neck and back pain. But screen time may also be affecting our eyesight.
A recent study published in the journal Nature found that people who spend more than two hours a day looking at screens are more likely to be nearsighted than those who spend less time front of digital devices.
The study’s authors say that the increase in nearsightedness is likely because we tend to do so at a close distance when we look at screens, which puts strain on our eyes. Over time, this can change the shape of our eyeballs and the way light enters our eyes, which leads to myopia or nearsightedness.
While the study’s authors say that more research is needed to confirm their findings, the results suggest that too much screen time could be harmful to our vision.
If you’re concerned about the effects of digital eye strain, there are several things you can do to reduce your risk. You can do it by taking breaks from screens every 20 minutes or so and making sure that the text on your screen is large enough to read without straining your eyes. You can also use glasses for macular degeneration, which is relatively common in eye stores. Other ways include using settings meant for eyesight protection.
How is Digital Tech Handling Eyesight Problems?
Digital technology is becoming more and more commonplace in our lives, and as such, it’s also becoming an increasingly important part of our eye care.
Many apps and devices can help you manage your eye health, including tracking your vision, finding the right glasses or contact lenses for you, and even booking appointments with eye doctors.
One example of an app that can help you track your vision is the myVisionTrack app, which allows you to input data about your vision over time to see how it changes. The app also provides tips on improving your vision and avoiding digital eye strain.
Another example is the GlassesUSA app, which helps you find the right glasses or contact lenses. The app includes a virtual try-on feature that allows you to see how different glasses would look on your face. It also consists of a prescription checker, which helps you make sure your prescription is up-to-date.
All of these apps make a difference in our eye care. However, various settings embedded inside smartphones and other technologies can also make a difference.
Settings for Better Eyecare
One such setting is the Night Shift feature on iPhones, which filters out blue light from your screen, so it’s easier on your eyes. The feature can be found in the Display & Brightness section of the Settings app.
You can also adjust the font size and display brightness on your iPhone to make it easier on your eyes. To do this, go to the Display & Brightness section of the Settings app and tap Text Size. From there, you can adjust the slider to make the text on your screen either larger or smaller.
You can also enable Auto-Brightness, which will adjust the brightness of your screen based on the lighting conditions around you. You can find the same setting from the guide above.
There are also a number of third-party apps that can help you reduce digital eye strain.
An example is Iris Pro, which allows you to create custom profiles that adjust the color, brightness, and other settings on your screen. The app also includes a blue light filter that can help reduce digital eye strain.
Digital technology is becoming more and more commonplace in our lives, and as such, it’s also becoming an increasingly important part of our eye care.
There are a number of apps and devices that can help you manage your eye health, including ones that help you track your vision, find the right glasses or contact lenses for you, and even book appointments with eye doctors. By utilizing these options, you can have better eye care than most people.