UNAIR NEWS – The Covid-19 pandemic has made learning activities carried out online. Moreover, many employees also implement a work-from-home system to do their work without having to go to their offices. This condition makes people spend more time in front of gadgets. However, staring at the screen for too long makes the eyes tired, dry, and may even cause abnormalities. How could we maintain eye health in the online era?
An ophthalmologist from Universitas Airlangga Hospital (RSUA), dr. Mohamad Nurdin Zuhri, Sp.M., said that maintaining eye health is very necessary during the current pandemic because many patients in this pandemic era experience dry eyes, tired eyes, and refractive errors (blurred vision, ed).
“Usually, most of the time, parents bring their children to the clinic with blurred vision or tired eyes. After being examined, they are diagnosed with myopia or astigmatism,” said dr. Nurdin.
An ophthalmologist from Universitas Airlangga Hospital (RSUA), dr. Mohamad Nurdin Zuhri, Sp.M. (Photo: By Courtesy)
Adjusting distance while Staring at the screen
According to Nurdin, the cause of tired eyes in the online era is the long duration of close-distance work. When looking at things up close, the eyes will make adjustments to get a clear image of the object being seen, and the eye muscles will contract, causing eye fatigue.
“If we stare at a screen with a close distance, the eye muscles will contract more. It’s like lifting heavy objects. For a few minutes, we might be strong, but after hours it will make us tired,” said Nurdin, who is also an alumnus of the Ophthalmology Specialist Program of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga (FK UNAIR).
Furthermore, according to dr. Nurdin, adjusting the distance when using a gadget is one of the important things. Posture also affects the ideal distance to use the gadget. The most common distance is one arm’s length or about 30-40 cm.
“A good distance between the eyes and the gadget depends on the actual body posture because everyone’s posture is different,” he said.
Using a wide-screen gadget
The doctor from Pasuruan explained that using mobile phones is not recommended for online school or work because they have a fairly small screen which causes the eye muscles to contract more. In addition, he added that the distance of a mobile phone to the eyes is also relatively closer than using a computer or laptop.
“Try not to use a cellphone, but use a laptop or computer. A laptop or computer has a bigger screen, and the distance to use it is also wider, so it reduces the occurrence of asthenopia or eye fatigue,” he said.
Using the Rule of Twenty
The doctor who has served for a decade at RSUA explained that the rule of twenty effectively prevents eye fatigue. The rule of twenty means looking at the screen for twenty minutes followed by a rest for twenty seconds by looking twenty feet away.
“When looking at a distance of twenty feet or about six meters, the eye muscles will relax. Thus, it makes the eyes more relaxed,” he said.
Managing the blinking frequency
According to Nurdin, dry eyes basically have two causing principles. The first is due to reduced tear production, and the second is an increase in tear evaporation. In most people who do not have systemic disease, dry eyes are caused by increased tear evaporation because the blinking frequency is only 4-6 times per minute and even only two times per minute when looking at gadgets. Normally, human blinks 14-16 times per minute.
“When we look at something serious on a gadget, the blink frequency will decrease, and tear evaporation will increase,” he said.
Setting gadget light
A gadget produces blue light, which can cause the eyes to get tired quickly because it has a shorter wavelength. However, the current gadget is equipped with a blue light filter or night mode to increase comfort for the eyes.
“In terms of technology, it has actually helped to maintain eye health. So, when we buy a gadget, we can see if it is friendly to the eyes or not,” he said.
Taking supplements
At the end, Nurdin explained that taking supplements to maintain eye health is not a must, but it depends on the nutrients that enter a person’s body. If our nutrition is considered good, taking supplements is not necessary.
“As long as our nutrition is sufficient for eye health, there is no need for external supplementation. Therefore, it depends on whether our nutrition is good or not,” he concluded.
Author: Adelya Salsabila Putri
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia (YA/AP)
