Growing use of digital devices for online education is a cause of increasing vision problems like refractive error and digital eye strain (DES) among school, college students, a recent study conducted by a hospital at Navi Mumbai claims.
In the survey conducted by New Panvel-based RJ Sankara Eye Hospital, 247 students were screened and out of them 79 (32 per cent) were diagnosed with refractive error of eyes. The normal trend is 10 to 15 per cent, the hospital said.
Refractive error leads to vision becoming blurry and hazy. Common symptoms include headache and can further lead to digital eye strain, it added.
In another study recently published in Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 217 students were screened, of whom 109 were found to be suffering from DES. Twenty six per cent were of mild, 13 per cent were of moderate and 11 per cent were of severe grade with most common symptoms being itching and headaches, the researchers said.
“The average time spent using electronic devices had increased to 5 hours a day for 36 percent of students due to online teaching or e-learning introduced during the pandemic after schools were shut,” they said.
The risk of DES rises significantly for those who spend 4-5 hours per day on digital devices, as per several other studies, said Dr Ankita, Pediatric Ophthalmologist at RJ Sankara Eye Hospital.
If detected early, vision therapy can help in preventing progression of symptoms of digital eye strain. "Vision therapy includes a series of in-office and home-based exercises administered over a period of weeks or months with the help of special glasses, filters, prisms and computer assisted vision programmes that improve eye focusing, coordination and tracking,” Dr Ankita added.