Effective eye exercises: Dr Somdutt Prasad

Regular exercise keeps eyes healthy. With increased usage of computers at home and office, eye exercises can help reduce blurred vision, headaches, strain and irritation. In this article, Dr Somdutt Prasad — a famous ophthalmologist and retinal specialist — discusses few effective eye exercises.

Blinking

A simple exercise, often overlooked, that keeps eyes fresh. Regular blinking helps eyes focus for long periods. Most of us while sitting in front of computers or watching television tend to blink less. This puts excessive strain on our eyes. During these activities, it is vital to blink in every 3 to 4 seconds. When we blink our eyes, they go into a brief period of darkness. This helps them stay fresh.

Palming

Palming is another effective exercise that helps reduce stress around the eyes. Before starting, take a few deep breaths and make yourself comfortable.Cover both eyes with the palms with your fingers on the forehead. Ensure that you do not put too much pressure on your eyes and can blink freely. Few minutes of this exercise gives your eyes plenty of relief.

Focusing on near and far objects

You can do this exercise from anywhere. Sit comfortably and put an object close (about 10 to 15 inches) to your eyes. Focus on it for sometime. After that, focus on an object at about 20 feet away. Switch your focus from the near and far object and the exercise will strengthen eye muscles over a period of time.  

Shifting

Rapid shifting of eyes is helpful in problems such as a farsightedness,
nearsightedness and squint. Making small-scale shifts trying to sense various sections of an object is helpful. It helps in overcoming the above vision difficulties.

Zooming

Zooming is another useful exercise that provides relief to eyes. Take an object and focus on it with your arm outstretched. Now bring the object close to you and again move it away. Continue it for few minutes.

When you face problems in your vision, immediately consult an eye specialist. It is important to go for regular eye checkups and follow your doctor’s instructions to keep eyes healthy.

Lighting & Eyes by Dr Somdutt Prasad

Lighting plays an important role in vision. Proper lighting, be it at home or office is critical to reduce stress on eyes. Dr Somdutt Prasad — also known as Dr Som Prasad in the medical fraternity — explains the ideal type of lighting one must have at home and office. Dr Prasad is a celebrated ophthalmologist and retinal specialist.

Poor Lighting in the Workplace

Effects of poor lighting

Poor lighting puts extra pressure on our eyes and can cause:

• Eyestrain
• Irritation
• Dry burning eyes
• Blurred vision
• Headache

Lighting at home

Most of the rooms of a house are under-illuminated. In areas such as the kitchen, it is important to use bright task lights. Most people tend to switch off lights while watching television. When the room is completely dark, the contrast between the surrounding area and television screen is not comfortable for efficient vision. It is important to use normal lights in living rooms, where people mostly watch television. Excessive bright lights can wash out pictures.While task lighting is suitable in areas like the bedroom, in reading rooms it is important to use supplementary lights. However, it is vital to ensure that it is not too hot.

Lighting at office

Office work is challenging and requires good lighting for comfort. Good lighting does not mean excessive bright light. It means enough illumination so that one can easily see the displayed documents.

Remember that the computer monitor acts as source of light. Reflection of objects can cause glare and result in discomfort. Adjust its brightness, contrast and color to reduce strain on eyes. 

Eye discomfort can be reduced by using filters to diffuse overhead lighting. The room should be properly lit and one must use spectacles with anti-reflective coating. The coating eliminates reflections and allows a healthy amount of light to enter eyes for vision.

It is important to visit an eye specialist if your eyes feel uncomfortable. Uncorrected vision can further cause problems.

Effects of smartphones on eyes: Dr Somdutt Prasad

In a technology-driven world, smartphones have become an important part of our life. Today, most of us use smartphones to mail, chat, read, watch movies and browse the Internet. However, prolonged use of these gadgets can significantly affect vision. Dr. Somdutt Prasad, a celebrated ophthalmologist and retinal specialist, talks about the impact these phones have on our vision. 

Blue-violet light: Hazardous to eyes

The light coming out from smartphones is blue-violet.Since it has a short wavelength, it is extremely toxic, hazardous and damages the living tissue. Various tests have proved that over-exposure to this light can result in macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness. Exposure to the light at night suppresses melatonin production that affects sleep. In such a scenario, the risk of ailments such as depression and cancer go up. 

Wearing amber glasses while using smartphones at night and using apps limiting the amount of blue-violet light coming out from the screen is a convenient way to limit exposure to this dangerous light.

Holding the device too close to the eyes

Most people hold their smartphones very close to their eyes while reading, browsing and chatting. Combined with not blinking enough, it puts a lot of strain on the eyes resulting in itchiness and headaches. 

When we try reading too close, the eyes have to correct for distance known as accommodation. It also increases the demand for coordination between the two eyes (vergence). All these put excessive pressure on our eyes making us uncomfortable. The ideal distance for holding smartphones is about 1 foot (12 inches).

Tips for protecting eyes from harmful effects of smartphones

In the digital age, we cannot do without smartphones. However, there are certain ways through which we can protect our eyes from their harmful effects. Given below are some handy tips for smartphone users.

1. Never use phones in dark or poorly lit rooms. The sudden burst of light puts a lot of strain on eyes.
2. Avoid looking at phones while sleeping. When we sleep, the pupil relaxes and sudden exposure to light causes eye muscles to retreat. Constantly doing so can lead to refractive errors.
3. Avoid looking at phone screens for long hours. Close your eyes for 3 minutes every 2 hours.

If you experience blurred vision, itchiness or red eyes, consult an eye specialist without any delay. Delaying treatment will only aggravate the problem.