In today’s digital age, screens have become a constant part of life - from smartphones to laptops. For women especially, who are constantly juggling between their professional and personal life, prolonged screen exposure has become inevitable. While both men and women use screens extensively, it has been observed through research that women experience more severe symptoms due to it. Following are the few things as to why do they have more severity than men and what should be done to protect their eyesight.
This article is authored by Dr. Jaee Kelkar, Director,DNB FRCS, FRCOphth (London),NIO Super Specialty Hospital.
The Hidden Impact Of Screens On Women’s Eye Health
Prolonged Screen Usage Affects Women’s Eyes
When people use screens for a longer timeframe, their blink rate reduces to 4 to 6 compared to the normal rate that is 12 to 15 blinks per minute. Since blinking is very important for maintaining a healthy tear film that keeps the cornea moist, reduced blinking can lead to a faster tear evaporation, making the eyes feel dry and strained.
For women, this dryness is more severe. While the mechanism of blinking is same for both the genders, women have reported higher levels of discomfort. One of the reasons for this is the imbalance in the hormones, which affects tear production and eye surface inflammation. This becomes more severe during perimenopause and menopause, where reduced estrogen levels can lead to thinner tear film.
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The Blue Light Effect
Blue light - which is famously blamed for digital eye strain - is the visible light emitted by screens. While it is true that excessive blue light exposure can lead to disruption in sleep patterns and lead to fatigue, it is not the complete picture. The primary factors behind the eye strain is a mix of lifestyle factors, that are:
-Prolonged screen time without breaks
-Improper screen brightness and contrast settings
-Poor posture and viewing angles
It is also true that a few people use blue light filtering glasses for screens. While these glasses can reduce the glare and give comfort for sometime, there is no scientific evidence that they can completely prevent it or treat dry eyes. The focus should be on having a preventive measure that ensures screen hygiene, like, the 20-20-20 rule or having proper lighting or taking regular breaks.
Blue light – the light emitted by screens – is often held responsible for digital eye strain. While it’s true that blue light exposure especially in the evening, can disrupt ones sleep patterns and lead to fatigue, it is not responsible for this. These symptoms are actually a combination of multiple factors like:
-Usage of screen time for long periods without taking breaks
-Reduced blink rate
-High screen brightness and contrast settings
-Poor posture and viewing angles
We may have seen blue light filtering glasses trending widely. While these glasses can reduce glare and improve comfort for some, there is currently no scientific evidence that they can prevent dry eyes. Instead, the focus should be on taking breaks in between in such cases – like the 20 - 20 - 20 rule or maintaining proper lighting.
Hormonal Health and Digital Fatigue in Women
Hormonal health matters a lot.Women are biologically more prone to dry eyes disease due to the influence of estrogen on tear gland function. This hormonal vulnerability becomes more pronounced during:
-Perimenopause and menopause
-Pregnancy
-Periods of hormonal treatment (like birth control pills)
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Picture Credit: Freepik.
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