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Smartphone damages vision: how to protect your eyes. Does vision deteriorate in poor lighting? Does a computer harm your eyesight?

Frequent headaches, dryness and irritation of the eyes are all symptoms of prolonged work at the computer and its negative impact on the visual system. Every year, more and more patients turn to an ophthalmologist with similar symptoms, and these people are of different age categories. Is office work harmful to the eyes and does computer vision deteriorate? All this will be discussed in this article.

Exposure to computer monitor

The pattern of deterioration in visual functions was noted by specialists from different countries. This led to the idea of ​​the negative impact of a computer monitor on visual acuity. But, despite this pattern, the results of special studies indicate that computer vision does not deteriorate. The radiation emitted by the monitor has minimal impact on the human visual system, so it cannot affect vision.

What then is the reason? The fault is not with the computer itself, but with regular violation of the rules for working with an electronic computer. An improperly equipped workplace, poor lighting or a monitor located too high - all these and other factors affect vision.

Causes of decreased visual acuity

There are several main reasons why harmless computer work can lead to a deterioration in the functioning of the visual system. These include:

  • eyes too close to the computer monitor. Very often people forget about the optimal distance to the computer. We are talking about 60-70 cm;

  • correct positioning of the body in relation to the screen. If a person works at a computer in a lying or standing position, this will negatively affect his vision. Therefore, experts recommend taking a sitting position so that the monitor is located directly in front of your eyes;
  • too bright lighting. An overly lit room interferes with normal operation, especially if the sun's rays hit the monitor at a right angle. If possible, adjust the lighting to make it less bright;
  • unadjusted brightness in PC monitor leads to increased eye fatigue and, as a result, deterioration of vision. This can be avoided by reducing excessively high monitor brightness.

Note! Eyes deteriorate not due to exposure to a PC monitor, but due to the fault of people themselves who, out of ignorance or inexperience, ignore safety rules when working with computers. Such neglect can lead not only to deterioration of vision, but also to the development of various ophthalmological diseases.

Vision can decrease as a result of prolonged work on a computer, since too much stress is placed on the eyes, due to which they do not have time to recover normally. A minimal number of rest periods or their complete absence gradually leads to a decrease in the tone of the lens muscles, as a result of which a person’s adaptation to bright light sources may be impaired. Therefore, vision deteriorates not because of the computer itself, but from working with it, that is, from non-compliance with safety rules.

Associated symptoms

You can notice a decrease in vision based on several signs that are difficult to ignore. Let's consider the main ones:

  • feeling of dryness in the eyes. As a rule, this symptom manifests itself against the background of insufficient hydration of the mucous membrane of the organs of vision. Increased dryness is often accompanied by the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms onto the mucous membrane and, as a result, the development;

  • increased lacrimation. When overhydrated, the blood vessels in the eye area become overfilled with blood, causing them to turn red;
  • the appearance of foreign objects on the surface of the eyes. This unpleasant feeling often occurs if a person sits in front of a computer monitor for too long and, most importantly, without breaks;

  • decreased vision adaptation. After a person takes his eyes off the monitor, it takes some time to restore clarity of vision;
  • formation of a veil before the eyes. Prolonged work at the computer leads to the appearance of vision, due to which, in low light conditions, it is difficult for a person to distinguish between different objects and his visual acuity decreases.

You can determine whether your vision has deteriorated if at least one of the above symptoms has been detected. If this does happen, then you need to seek advice from an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. You cannot delay this, so as not to complicate the pathological process and lead to even worse consequences.

Ways to restore vision

Indeed, in the modern world, many people spend days in front of a computer monitor. And often such a hobby or work, if safety rules are not followed, leads to vision impairment. Moreover, not only children, but also older people suffer from this. But what should you do if your work involves a computer and you cannot limit the time you spend at the computer? In such cases, you need to follow a few simple recommendations to restore the full functioning of the visual system.

We are talking about properly arranging your workplace and regularly performing gymnastics. Of course, it is not recommended to do this without a preliminary examination and consultation with a doctor.

Arrangement of the workplace

It is important that the workplace meets all the requirements, so if you work at a computer every day, you need to devote enough time to arranging your workplace. This will minimize the load on the visual organs.

  • Make sure that the monitor is as far away from your eyes as possible. In this case, you need to adhere to the arm's length rule (the screen should be approximately at this distance);
  • work at a PC only in a sitting position, but not in a lying or standing position;
  • Provide sufficient lighting in the work room. For example, the brightness of the monitor screen should not be high, because this will cause increased strain on the eyes, especially if you work in a dark room. It is also necessary to ensure that the lighting in the room is not too bright - this also negatively affects visual functions;

  • The face should be slightly higher than the monitor, so that when working, the gaze is directed not from bottom to top, but vice versa. It is strictly not recommended to place the screen at the same level as your face;
  • There should be a distance between your face and the monitor that is 150% greater than the diagonal of the screen. First of all, this rule applies to children who, while playing, often do not notice how close they are to the monitor. Therefore, parents should keep an eye on this;
  • adjust the brightness and contrast on the monitor so that its operation is comfortable for your eyes;
  • Place a small desk lamp next to your PC. This will improve the lighting in the room and, as a result, reduce eye strain.

On a note! Experts also recommend taking a short break approximately 7-8 times a day or every hour. During this time, you need to move away from your workplace, you can use moisturizing drops or perform several eye exercises.

Gymnastics for the eyes

The first signs of eye fatigue are headache, redness and itching. If at the height of the working day these signs are simply not noticed and ignored in every possible way, then in the evening they become more pronounced. They are especially noticeable when reading or focusing on small objects. Below are instructions that, if followed, will allow you to relax your visual organs and prevent disturbances in their functions.

Table. Relaxing gymnastics for the eyes.

Steps, photoDescription of actions

Alternately move your gaze to the right and left, while trying to keep your eyes in a straight line.

Repeat the first exercise, but with a slight amendment: your gaze should now move from bottom to top and back. As before, the eyes should move in a straight line.

Slowly roll your eyes clockwise. After completing 5 circles, begin rotating in the opposite direction.

Looking straight ahead, close your eyes sharply, and then open them just as quickly.

Move your gaze from the upper right corner to the lower left, that is, diagonally. First you need to move your eyes in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

Slowly bring your eyes to the center, closer to the bridge of your nose. Fix your gaze in this position for a few seconds, and then return to the starting position.

Start blinking your eyes intensely and quickly. Repeat the procedure for 5-10 seconds.

Often people underestimate the effectiveness of this gymnastics, ignoring the prescriptions of their doctor. But with regular performance of the above exercises, you can preserve your vision almost until old age. This topic is especially relevant for people who spend more than 6 hours a day at the computer.

How to protect children

Children of the previous generation spent all their free time outside, playing active games of various kinds, but modern children spend long periods of time preferring virtual games. If some parents encourage their child to engage in such activities, believing that this way he will develop more actively, others, on the contrary, fearing for their child’s visual acuity, try to protect him from the computer.

To prevent harmless PC games from affecting the child’s visual functions, parents must follow a few simple rules:

  • if the child is no more than 4 years old, then the maximum period that he can spend at the computer should not be more than 20 minutes a day;
  • for older children, aged 4 to 6 years, the permissible time increases to 30 minutes;
  • for 8-year-old children, the optimal permissible time for playing at the computer is 40-50 minutes.

Note! Children do not always listen to their parents when it comes to their favorite PC games, so they need a special approach. Try to come to an agreement with them, find a compromise that will protect their vision without moral suffering. For example, delicious ice cream will distract your child from playing.

Restoring your vision after years of ignoring computer safety rules is a difficult task. But it is much easier to prevent a decrease in visual acuity by protecting your eyes from the effects of computers. This is a feasible task if you follow the following recommendations:

  • take regular breaks when working at the computer. Experts recommend getting up from your desk every hour and doing an eye stretch. If possible, look away from the monitor every 20-30 minutes;
  • Get periodically examined by an ophthalmologist to check your vision. Possible pathological processes are much easier to eliminate if they were identified at an early stage of development. If necessary, the doctor, after conducting a diagnostic examination, may prescribe other procedures;

  • When working at a computer, be sure to use special safety glasses, designed to suppress monitor glare and improve image quality. To correctly select such an accessory, you need to contact an ophthalmologist;

  • keep your eyes well hydrated. It's no secret that when reading or working on a PC, your eyes dry out, which leads to irritation. To prevent this from happening, try to blink more often. Also, if necessary, use, the composition of which is very similar to natural tears.

Video – Are monitors harmful to eyesight?

Almost all segments of society, adults and children, now spend a lot of time on computers. All types of activities and leisure activities are computerized. How does long-term work affect our main sense organ - the eye?

There are many reasons for visual impairment, as the eye reacts to negative changes throughout the body:

  • disturbances in diet and sleep;
  • lack of sleep;
  • excessive time spent at the computer, TV, tablet;
  • mental and mental stress.

All this affects the eye muscles, which cannot function flexibly and softly, and the functioning of the eyes is disrupted.

Computer work

The nature of computer activities is divided into the following categories:

  • screen reading;
  • file analysis;
  • text input;
  • software debugging and text editing;
  • working with graphics and design programs.

People experience the greatest strain on their eyes when working with the last two categories. They especially need to pay attention to protective measures to preserve their vision. Hazardous factors also include:

  • static electricity;
  • bad light;
  • electromagnetic;
  • ionizing radiation.

Negative effects of computers on vision

We read, write, draw in front of monitor screens and tire our eyes by looking at images. The image on the screen consists of many luminous dots. The eye processes the changes on the screen and adjusts to see clearly. When this ability decreases, myopia may begin to develop.

You can reduce the negative impact if you work on a high-quality monitor and place it correctly. And the main thing is to control the time of continuous work at the computer. Otherwise, a person gets tired, the nervous system becomes tense, causing eye fatigue, poor health and sleep disturbance.

You can talk about computer vision syndrome when:

  • heaviness in the centuries,
  • rapid blinking,
  • redness of the eyes.

Further deterioration of the eye condition will lead to:

  • lacrimation;
  • headaches;
  • vision becomes blurred, the person gets tired quickly.

This happens because the image flickers, the eye constantly moves its gaze between the screen, the keyboard and the text.

Leads to eye fatigue:

  • improper placement of lighting fixtures;
  • glare on the screen;
  • increased screen brightness.

When working without breaks, the flow of tears is disrupted. To avoid the feeling of dryness, it is recommended to blink more often.

The following will help prevent the negative impact of working at a computer:

  • properly organized workplace;
  • use of drops and glasses;
  • breaks from work.

How to avoid overwork

Fatigue will be less if you follow these rules:

  • use a quality computer;
  • choose comfortable furniture;
  • wipe the screen from dust and clean the room regularly;
  • the air in the room should not be dry;
  • do eye exercises.

You need to place your computer correctly:

  • The screen backlight should be on the left;
  • Do not dim the general lighting of the room;
  • Use furniture to provide support for your legs and back;
  • position the spine perpendicular to the floor;
  • hands should lie on the table;
  • legs bent at right angles;
  • the back is adjacent to the chair;
  • look at the image from top to bottom at a distance of about 50 cm.

To prevent the occurrence of computer eye syndrome, make it a rule:

  • blink more often;
  • be sure to take breaks from work;
  • use eye drops to moisturize your eyes;
  • It is important to adjust the light so that it does not fall on the screen or shine into your eyes.

Exercises to relieve tension

  1. While sitting, close your eyes for a few seconds and then open them. This will improve blood circulation and relax the eye muscles.
  2. Blink for two minutes and do while sitting.
  3. Stand up and look straight for three seconds, then look at the outstretched finger for the same amount of time. Repeat 10 times. Visual acuity at close range improves. Do not remove glasses, if any.
  4. Improves fluid circulation by pressing your fingers on your eyelids for two seconds.
  5. It is useful, especially with myopia, to move your gaze from near to distant objects.

Ways to recover after working on a computer

The most useful things will be walks outside, warming up the muscles, especially those responsible for posture, and exercises for the eyes. Sunlight is good for the retina. Reading magazines and computer games will not help, but will aggravate fatigue. It is beneficial to drink clean water and eat fruits.

Special glasses protect against overvoltage well. They are not very expensive, but useful. Eyes are less strained with glasses, as light radiation and glare on the screen are reduced.

In pharmacies you can buy teas to improve vision. It is advisable to drink them throughout the day. Or first before work, and then at night.

Experts advise eating butter, which is good for the eyes.

We should not forget about vitamins. It is advisable to select their complex specifically for the eyes.

  • Vitamin A is necessary for the functioning of the retina, which is responsible for daytime, color and twilight vision. Vitamins are taken in courses, according to the instructions. Breaks in their use are required.
  • It is useful to take microelements for antioxidant protection of the eyes.

The rules and tips are simple. But if you follow them, your vision will last for a long time, even if you need to work at the computer for a long time. When working more than 4 hours a day, most people require vision correction. Regular fatigue can lead to undesirable functional changes.

Not a single type of human activity in our time can do without the use of computers. However, it is necessary to take into account not only the benefits, but also the harmful effects on people when working at a computer. To avoid negative impacts, protective measures, rules and regulations must not be neglected. Listen to the advice of specialists aimed at eye prevention and support. It will not be possible to avoid eye strain, but it is within our power to reduce it.

The total amount of time spent watching TV, tablet, phone or computer is increasing. All age groups are susceptible to the effects of the listed electronic devices. In order not to worsen your health, it is worth knowing whether a computer spoils your eyesight and how you can preserve it.

Can a computer harm your eyesight?

Disputes on this matter have not subsided since the appearance of the first monitors. The discussion has been going on for many years, although it is difficult to imagine a person who does not interact with monitors at all. Each side has reason to consider its opinion correct.

The first monitors released had built-in electroray tubes. The radiation from such a device had a negative effect on a person, affecting the eyes in a negative way. Modern monitors are made using a different technology; they are equipped with a liquid crystal screen that does not emit anything.

But it is worth understanding that the influence of a computer on vision is noticeable not only because of the design of the monitor.

Why does a computer harm your eyesight?

Vision deteriorates for several reasons:

  • Incorrect monitor setting. In preparation for work, it is necessary to correctly adjust the image characteristics. The lack of a clear picture, hard-to-read font and poor-quality text design lead to unnecessary eye strain. It is necessary to set the correct resolution on the monitor. Ideally, you need to achieve a clear picture that will be easier for the eyes to perceive.
  • Excessive time spent at the computer. Long-term work can lead to deterioration of vision from the monitor (whether it permanently deteriorates or there is a chance to preserve it, we will consider in preventive measures). Office workers, after a day of intense computer work, experience discomfort in their eyes. There is a feeling of dryness, redness and fatigue of the eyes.
  • Lack of lighting. If you have to work in a dark room, there is a serious impact on the optic nerve. It is difficult for the eye to quickly adjust from a light screen to a dark room.
  • Computer location. According to the standards, it is necessary to install the computer and monitor at a distance of 60 centimeters from the eyes.

Symptoms of visual impairment

Each person's vision deteriorates at a different rate. Some people sit at the computer for days without getting tired, while others find it difficult to spend even half the day in front of a monitor. The main symptoms by which one can determine that vision is being impaired by a computer are as follows:

  1. Unpleasant sensation in the eyes. The main indicators of eye fatigue: dryness, burning, tearing. Such symptoms appear because a person, concentrating on the monitor, blinks less often.
  2. Blurred vision. This is the next stage after fatigue. If you work in a room with smoke or insufficient lighting, your eyes will tire faster.
  3. The appearance of pain in the neck, shoulders and back indicates that the body is in an uncomfortable position, which leads to insufficient saturation of organs with oxygen and blood, including the eyes.
  4. Dizziness and pain in the head. It is considered the most dangerous symptom that occurs when working at a computer for a long time.

Here the question immediately arises: does a computer spoil your eyesight? With a fair degree of confidence we can say that it spoils. But this process takes place individually for each person. To prevent this situation, you need to give your eyes time to rest.

Possible complications

All of the above symptoms appear in connection with long work at the computer. But these signs can also refer to serious eye diseases. In order not to confuse the symptoms, it is necessary to visit an ophthalmologist several times a year.

Prevention measures

A person will no longer be able to give up computers and all kinds of gadgets, so it is necessary to reduce the risk of damaging his eyes. To do this, you need to follow simple rules that will make your eyes comfortable to work with. The basic rule is to use high-quality computer monitors that are safe for eyesight. Experts give the following recommendations for maintaining visual function at the proper level:

  • For painless work, it is recommended to set the monitor to the lowest resolution with a frequency of 80 Hz.
  • The monitor contrast is adjusted to maximum, the picture should be clear.
  • The optimal distance of the eyes from the monitor is considered to be 60-70 cm, and its tilt should not exceed 15°. It should be unfolded so that there are no unnecessary glares.
  • When reading any information or watching a video, it is not recommended to look too closely at the object.
  • The eyes need rest: preferably every hour for five minutes.
  • Try to blink more often, this will prevent your eyes from drying out.
  • If you have to spend a lot of time at the computer every day, you need to add foods to your diet that can have a positive effect on your vision (carrots, celery, blueberries, nuts).
  • For work, special glasses are also worn that can
  • You should visit an ophthalmologist regularly.
  • Do eye exercises at any free time.

Eye drops

To preserve vision, a person who spends a lot of time looking at a monitor needs eye drops for eye fatigue. The following categories of drugs can help against the computer, namely, against its harm to the body:

  1. Acting on the restoration of the mucous membrane of the eye.
  2. Providing hydration.
  3. Anti-edema drops.

The table below will help you understand this.

Gymnastics for the eyes

With the help of eye exercises, you can not only restore vision lost at work, but also achieve optimal performance. They are carried out twice a day: morning and evening. At the same time, the head should be motionless, and all exercises should be performed with the eyes alone. Their movements should be as amplitude as possible. The following course is performed:

  • Move your eyes up and then down in a vertical direction.
  • Move your eyes horizontally to the right and left.
  • Movements diagonally from right to left and back.
  • Next, a figure eight is performed in a vertical position.
  • Figure eight in a horizontal position.
  • Make a large circle with your eyes, making stops like on a dial at each number. Then we repeat the exercise, stopping only at marks 6 and 12.

The entire complex consists of 8 repetitions for each exercise. Having completed the execution, the eyes need to be given a rest (blinking quickly). After completing general gymnastics, you can cover your eyes with your hands and rest for at least 10 minutes.

To make the task more difficult for yourself, exercises are carried out with closed eyelids, this additionally massages the lens of the eye.

Whether it spoils or falls for other reasons, the above exercises can help restore it if the case does not fall into the category of neglected ones.

How to relax after working at the computer for a long time?

After a long day of work, your eyes need proper rest. You won't be able to do this while playing computer games or watching TV shows. The following are considered useful:

  • walks in the fresh air, as sunlight has a positive effect on the retina of the eye;

  • warming up all the muscles of the back and neck;
  • Don’t forget about eye exercises;
  • It is recommended to drink plain water and eat fruits;
  • wear glasses for vision;
  • drink tea to improve vision, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.

An important point is the consumption of vitamin A, it is beneficial for the retina. It is recommended to drink it in courses; continuous use is prohibited.

So, does a computer ruin your eyesight? Yes, it’s clear to everyone what’s spoiling it. But it is also clear that by following simple rules of prevention and giving your eyes rest after hard work, you can not complain about their deterioration for many years.

In just some 15 - 20 years, personal computers have become so firmly established in our lives that it is no longer possible to imagine it without them. How does this new “habitat” affect the vision of a child and an adult? What does the future hold for him? What should you do to preserve your vision? These questions from our correspondent were answered by ophthalmologist Elena Ivanova, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Assistant General Director for Medical Work of the Federal State Institution “MNTK Eye Microsurgery” named after Academician S. N. Fedorov of the Russian Medical Technology.

Elena Vladimirovna, there is an opinion that the computer causes great harm, which nevertheless must be accepted. What do ophthalmologists say about this?

Yes, there are many myths around computers. And the time has come to debunk many of them.

For example, that harmful radiation comes from a computer. These were the first computers to have cathode ray tube monitors. Quite strong electromagnetic radiation actually emanated from them. But over time, scientists came to the conclusion that it is not so dangerous and does not produce any special effects on humans. And modern monitors are liquid crystal, there is no harmful radiation from them at all. You just need to choose the right brightness and contrast of the screen. The clearer the picture, the better the font, the better the text is formatted (with paragraphs, highlighted headings), the easier it is for the eye to perceive these “pictures”.

Does this mean that for the sake of health you need to buy the highest quality and most expensive equipment?

If you buy a regular flat-panel monitor, it will be absolutely safe. You don't have to buy the most expensive one. It is much more important, as I already said, to set the settings - for example, so that the screen resolution matches the technical resolution of the monitor. If the image is of high quality, then the eye “doesn’t care” whether you are working on a computer or reading a book.

At-risk groups

Did I understand you correctly that there is no connection between working on a computer and vision loss?

There is such a dependence, but it manifests itself individually. An adult who works at a computer for a long time, when he does not take breaks, may experience various unpleasant sensations, with which he comes to the doctor. This may include visual fatigue, decreased vision, irritation, redness, fog and blurred vision. In children and adolescents, prolonged “sitting” in front of a monitor screen can lead to the onset and progression of myopia. By nature, our eyes are more designed to look into the distance, and the load “close” is what modern life imposes on us.

For children and young people who are at risk - and these are those who have a hereditary predisposition to myopia - of course, it is better not to sit at the computer for a long time, but to walk more on the street, where the eye has somewhere to “look into the distance”. But if you can’t do without a computer, the child needs to take a break every twenty minutes and regularly do special gymnastics for the eyes. Then the child will leave school with a normal certificate and good vision. After all, most often vision is lost in high school.

That is, any visual strain, even if it is not related to a computer, can lead to myopia?

There is such a thing as “false myopia.” The child complains that his vision has become worse; he is taken to the doctor. The examination shows that he needs glasses with an optical power of -1.0 diopters. He is given a special drug that dilates the pupil and relaxes the ciliary muscle, which has been contracted due to overexertion, and relieves the spasm. And again, visual acuity is checked. And if it turns out that he has one hundred percent, it means that it was a spasm of accommodation, or the so-called “false myopia.” These children should never overstrain their eyes by sitting at the computer and books for a long time. If the spasm progresses, it can lead to true myopia.

False myopia can also develop against the background of true myopia. For example, a child who needs to pick up glasses is supposedly minus five. We dilate his pupil, look, and it turns out that he is only minus three. And those minus two are “false myopia” caused by a spasm that arose from overexertion.

What about the vision of Russian students? They never part with their computers, mobile phones, through which they access the Internet...

We are often approached by young people who really spend a lot of time on computers. In them we find a disturbance in the nutrition of the retina, which must be treated with a laser, otherwise retinal detachment may occur. The most unpleasant thing is that the detachment does not manifest itself in any way for the time being, and only a specialist can detect this problem during examination. Therefore, you need to visit an ophthalmologist at least once every two years.

Dry eyes

If modern computers themselves are safe, then why do our eyes get tired and sore after a long period of work?

When a person sits at a computer for several hours in a row, the eyes look at identical objects at a very close distance for a long time with virtually no movement. And the ciliary muscle, which is responsible for accommodation (the ability of the eye to clearly see objects at different distances), gets tired. This muscle, which holds the crystal of the eye, is tense when a person looks at something up close, and relaxed when he looks into the distance.

When a person looks at a computer, his gaze is directed slightly upward, and when, for example, he reads a book, his gaze is directed downward. When a person looks straight, he blinks less often, and accordingly the eye dries out due to the fact that it is less moisturized. Therefore, many computer users suffer from dry eye syndrome.

So you need to force yourself to blink more often?

Yes, and also look up from the monitor more often, look into the distance and just close your eyes from time to time.

Tell us more about dry eye syndrome.

It is associated with the fact that the quality of a person’s tears deteriorates, and sometimes the amount of tear fluid. And very often in young people the body compensates for the poor quality of tears with quantity. Therefore, the first sign of “dry eye syndrome” is tears in response to the wind, light, or any irritants. More often, this syndrome affects young people who spend a lot of time at the computer. Complaints begin about discomfort in the eyes, redness, a desire to blink, to moisten the eyes. In this case, you need to consult an ophthalmologist who will prescribe the necessary medications. For some, it is enough to instill them several times, for others they need them constantly - this largely depends on the lifestyle that the person leads.

Drops for dry eyes

What medications are commonly used to treat dry eye?

Tear replacement therapy drugs are prescribed - today they are widespread. They are more liquid and more viscous, gel-like (these stay on the eyes longer). Tear substitutes differ in the presence or absence of preservatives in their composition. Doctors usually advise buying without preservatives, because the preservative itself can aggravate dry eye syndrome. It is undesirable to use drugs with preservatives if a person wears contact lenses. The task of such drops is to restore the quality of tears, acid-base balance and tear film so that the person does not experience discomfort. Most often they are used three times a day; such drugs are selected individually - as prescribed by an ophthalmologist.

As a rule, drops with a vasoconstrictor effect are advertised there. We do not recommend or prescribe such drugs. They provide only visible relief - relieve redness, eliminate dryness and irritation. Maybe sometimes this is necessary for people in public professions. But you can’t constantly drip them: they constrict blood vessels and reduce the quality of tears, that is, in the future they themselves can provoke “dry eye syndrome.” And with prolonged use, there is a narrowing of blood vessels and, as a result, a disruption in the nutrition of the retina.

What consequences can “dry eye syndrome” lead to?

It may not lead to anything - it will simply “poison life” little by little. But with this syndrome there is a greater chance of getting conjunctivitis and other eye diseases. And this leads to a violation of the condition of the cornea, intolerance to contact lenses, and the impossibility of performing laser vision correction surgery.

For all occasions

What practical advice would you give to those who work at a computer and will continue to do so for many, many years to come?

Organize your workplace correctly. The monitor should be at least 50 centimeters from the eyes. You cannot work in the dark or, conversely, in bright light when it is directed directly at the monitor. The light should fall from the side, at an angle of 90 degrees. If there is glare from the window on the monitor, you need to cover it with light curtains.

Follow the work and rest schedule. Take a break from work - drink tea, put drops in your eyes, do a general warm-up and “eye exercises” - look into the distance, to the sides... It is advisable to repeat this after every hour of hard work. If you can’t stop, just turn your gaze to distant objects more often. If we are talking about a child, then he needs to look away from the computer every thirty minutes.

And, of course, do not forget about proper nutrition, taking antioxidants, multivitamins, vitamins A, B, C, and preparations with blueberry extracts.

Is there any “daily norm” for working on a computer for a child and an adult?

It is believed that for a child this is no more than four hours a day, and then only in rare cases.

It is not advisable to work at night. One piece of advice for adults: take breaks and change activities as often as possible. After all, from prolonged sitting in one position, not only the eyes suffer, but the entire body as a whole.