How to prevent blindness caused by lifestyle diseases? Renowned retina expert explains

Day-long exposure to computer screens, intermittent doomscrolling during breaks, glancing at other devices that rob the rest of the day... our lives are trapped in screens of all kinds. While it's easy to say that we should take breaks from screens for our own health, people are often forced to forget it in the daily rush of life. Moreover, many other diseases due to our lifestyles also add to the pressure on our eyes. How can we take care of our vision amidst all this? Dr Natasha Radhakrishnan, a Kochi-based senior retina consultant and the founder of the organisation Childhood Uveitis Blindness Support (CUBS), which supports children affected by uveitis, explains. 

According to the doctor, the majority of patients approaching ophthalmologists these days suffer from eye-related conditions arising from lifestyle diseases. Increased stress and prolonged screen time are major factors affecting eye health, she says. 

Reports suggest an increase in eye diseases among children. What is the reason?
Children have fallen prey to eye diseases ever since the shift to online learning during the COVID pandemic. Excessive use of computers, mobile phones, and television is the main reason. Children should be encouraged to participate in outdoor activities. Exposure to sunlight during mornings and evenings is beneficial. Increased computer usage exposes everyone, not just children, to a condition called ‘eye dryness.’ The solution is to rest the eyes for 20 seconds after working on computers for 20 minutes.

CUBS Trust
CUBS is the Childhood Uveitis Blindness Support Trust. Treatment for children affected by uveitis is expensive and prolonged. The trust was established to support such children.