Of late tech has come across as a double edged sword with more edge on the negative side. Of course, science and technology have always had pros and cons. However, the addiction to social media and constant scrolling has finally landed a woman in Hyderabad in a mess. Due to hours of mindless scrolling her feed in the dark, the woman has supposedly lost her vision.
Medically termed the smartphone vision syndrome this can culminate into vision loss. Having had a routine habit of using her phone for long hours without lights on, has led to this loss in vision.
Dr. Sudhir, a renowned neurologist in Hyderabad, had taken to Twitter to reveal how this woman lost her vision thanks to such routine and reckless behavior.
The patient is named Manju had visited the doctor with symptoms such as floater sightd, intense flashes, zigzag patterns, and no concentration on seeing objects. Medical examination led to smartphone vision syndrome diagnosis.
More details
The doctor adds, “I reviewed the history. Symptoms had started after she quit her job of a beautician in order to take care of her specially abled child. She picked up a new habit of browsing through her smartphone for several hours daily, including >2 hours at nights with lights switched off.”
The vision loss was reversed thanks to prompt diagnosis and medication. The eyesight came back after 18 months though.
While Manju received the right and timely treatment, this comes actoss as a warning sign for the entire generation of smartphone users today.
As per data.ai a mobile analytics firm, average consumption hours of smartphones in India stands at 4.7 hours from an earlier 3.7 hours back in 2019. The devices emanate a blue light that further causes a huge array of damage.
Summing up
The idea is to stay safe while leveraging tech at all times. Controlling mindless use of phones and screen time limit setting can help. Taking breaks from usage must be encouraged too.
Dr Sudhir suggests, “Avoid looking at screens of digital devices for long, as it can cause severe and disabling vision-related problems. Take 20-second break, every 20 min, to look at something 20 feet away, while using a digital screen (20-20-20 rule).”
