Mobile Phone Usage

Continuous use of mobile phones before bedtime in the dark can initially cause dry eyes, and strain your eyes. Direct glare of over 30 minutes can even cause irreversible eye macular degeneration, resulting in rapid deterioration of vision. The fact is that mobile devices expose us to high energy visible (HEV) light or blue light, which in certain experiments in the laboratory with a high dose of exposure, has shown to cause changes in certain cells of the eyes. The HEV light or blue light is also part of the light from LEDs and sunlight. K. Bhujang Shetty, chairperson and managing director of Narayana Nethralaya, says that eyes could be affected after continuous and prolonged use of mobile phones in the dark. This habit may not cause enough damage to lead to permanent vision loss if a person uses it occasionally. But it would definitely strain the eyes. He also suggests some precautions, including maintaining a comfortable working distance from the device, be it a mobile phone or computer, and ensuring that the screen is bright enough and the fonts big enough to read comfortably.