Any opticians about ? Do phones / screens damage your eyesight ?

[opalplumstead]

DS (16) has worn glasses since he was 11, started off a very low prescription so I wasn't concerned

However he's recently had an eye test and needs new glasses. I'm really worried as his latest prescription is almost as high as mine and I'm 41 and VERY short sighted. (-6 and -7)

I worry that all the screens kids go on these days have an impact on eyesight. So I'm looking for any wise words from any opticians here to find out if a) it's true and b) If so is there anything I can do to try and help lessen the impact of it? other than confiscating his phone for 23 hours of the day and c) is this a really terrible prescription for a young person? Optician didn't seem phased

We do try and limit it as much as possible already particularly with the younger ones. But the older dc seem to do a lot of their socialising online / ie what's app , tiktok etc so they do spend a fair amount of time on phones / tablets.

Anyone? X

I would like to know this too

I suspect there's a genetic component to this that predisposes some people to screens increasing short sightedness.

Lots of daylight is important for eye health.

Although opticians will say differently screens do have an impact - look at myopia in E & SE Asia in children and young people.

I'd do non-screen time, encourage outdoor daylight time and possibly corrective contact lenses. None of these were around when I was younger and my eyesight is now in danger in my 40s. Deffo a genetic aspect to this but had I had this info I might have made different lifestyle choices

I’ve always had quite a high prescription, with lockdown etc I’ve never spent as much time on screens. My last eye appointment showed a reduction in my px - which I’ve NEVER had in 33 years of wearing glasses / contact lenses. I was quite honestly gobsmacked!

I'm no optician, but I am very, very short-sighted (-11). I'm 45. As far as I remember I dropped 5-6 points throughout my teens, then stabilised at -9/-10 in my early 20's. At his point I was barely using screens at all (1990's). Since then I've only dropped 1-2 points, and in all that time (20+ years) I've been on screens 8 hours a day for work.

So for me, my eyesight got significantly worse while I wasn't using screens, and stabilised when I was. Not sure if this helps

www.sciencefocus.com/news/covid-lockdown-shortsightedness-children/

[quote Jarstastic]www.sciencefocus.com/news/covid-lockdown-shortsightedness-children/[/quote]
Thank you for that - a very interesting read

I thought screens damaging eyesight was pretty heavily debunked but has links to chronic headaches etc?

@Coronilla

I'm no optician, but I am very, very short-sighted (-11). I'm 45. As far as I remember I dropped 5-6 points throughout my teens, then stabilised at -9/-10 in my early 20's. At his point I was barely using screens at all (1990's). Since then I've only dropped 1-2 points, and in all that time (20+ years) I've been on screens 8 hours a day for work.

So for me, my eyesight got significantly worse while I wasn't using screens, and stabilised when I was. Not sure if this helps

That's weird isn't it ! I personally find that my eyes seem even more shit for a bit if I have been heavily using my phone etc

@nodogz

I suspect there's a genetic component to this that predisposes some people to screens increasing short sightedness.

Lots of daylight is important for eye health.

Although opticians will say differently screens do have an impact - look at myopia in E & SE Asia in children and young people.

I'd do non-screen time, encourage outdoor daylight time and possibly corrective contact lenses. None of these were around when I was younger and my eyesight is now in danger in my 40s. Deffo a genetic aspect to this but had I had this info I might have made different lifestyle choices

I've not heard of corrective contact lenses! How do they work ?

@Marmite27

I’ve always had quite a high prescription, with lockdown etc I’ve never spent as much time on screens. My last eye appointment showed a reduction in my px - which I’ve NEVER had in 33 years of wearing glasses / contact lenses. I was quite honestly gobsmacked!

I've heard that prescriptions can improve slightly . Altho never personally had this haha (I wish !)

@opalplumstead look here for a good run down of corrective contact lenses www.westoncontactlens.com/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-corneal-reshaping-and-ortho-k-lenses/

I wouldn't have laser or lasik but I would do a lens implant when the tech gets there, maybe 10 years time?

I’ve heard that spending some time in open air spaces (parks) is really good for their eyes, something to do with them focusing on things in the distance (trees etc) rather than focusing on close up screens. My dd age 13 has already got the same prescription as me (-3) but ds goes on screens just as much (probably more) and doesn’t need glasses so think it’s just their genes.

Have a read about myopia control in children

[quote nodogz]@opalplumstead look here for a good run down of corrective contact lenses www.westoncontactlens.com/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-corneal-reshaping-and-ortho-k-lenses/

I wouldn't have laser or lasik but I would do a lens implant when the tech gets there, maybe 10 years time? [/quote]
Thank you

Not an optician but I was more short sighted than you are now OP when I was a young teen.

Back then adults used to worry that reading books too much was the cause.

I had lasik in my 30s and it was absolutely life changing.

Im now early 50s and wear glasses for reading but my distance vision is still good enough to be legal to drive.

My eyesight is bad and 3 opthalmatrists have told me it's getting worse because of my constant use of phones. I also suffer chronic headaches because of my phone addiction.

@ZZTopGuitarSolo

Not an optician but I was more short sighted than you are now OP when I was a young teen.

Back then adults used to worry that reading books too much was the cause.

I had lasik in my 30s and it was absolutely life changing.

Im now early 50s and wear glasses for reading but my distance vision is still good enough to be legal to drive.

I really wanted laser eye surgery but was told my prescription was too bad. This was 5 years ago and my prescription was probably not even as bad as it is now

They offered me a lens implant instead ... did not like the sound of that eek 😬

I believe it depends on the thickness of your cornea combined with your prescription strength. I was -8.5 IIRC.

I have heard good things about lens implants from a couple of people who’ve had them.

Ds13 had an eye test recently and his prescription really changed. The optician said there is often a change at this age due to the amount of screen time, and obviously since COVID this has got worse.

@ZZTopGuitarSolo

Not an optician but I was more short sighted than you are now OP when I was a young teen.

Back then adults used to worry that reading books too much was the cause.

I had lasik in my 30s and it was absolutely life changing.

Im now early 50s and wear glasses for reading but my distance vision is still good enough to be legal to drive.

Agree with this. It changed my life completely. I understand what you’re saying about them not being able to do it if your prescription is considered too bad but from what I understand they’re making leaps and bounds now, maybe by the time your son is older he could be successful. I had it done about 15 years ago and still don’t need glasses for anything, my optician said he couldn’t even see any signs I’d had the procedure and even said if too many people had it done they’d be out of business!

I'm not sure it's screens so much as a lack of natural daylight. The Asian connection is thought to be the lack of natural light due to the high temperatures outside.
Kids very rarely say in H K play outside past the age of three.Also the school system is so pressurised kids study from a very young age.

I would love to have laser eye surgery but my eyes have got progressively worse since my teens and even now I’m in my forties they still haven’t stabilised and are currently -8. I understand you need a stable prescription for laser eye surgery otherwise there isn’t much point if it will carry on worsening.

@Cantonet

I'm not sure it's screens so much as a lack of natural daylight. The Asian connection is thought to be the lack of natural light due to the high temperatures outside. Kids very rarely say in H K play outside past the age of three.Also the school system is so pressurised kids study from a very young age.

Hmm I went very short sighted as a child living in the Med area and spending pretty much my entire time outside.

@buttercreamweeds

I would love to have laser eye surgery but my eyes have got progressively worse since my teens and even now I’m in my forties they still haven’t stabilised and are currently -8. I understand you need a stable prescription for laser eye surgery otherwise there isn’t much point if it will carry on worsening.

Yes you do need a stable prescription. Another thing to be aware of is that your prescription can be affected by pregnancy and breastfeeding. I wasn't allowed LASIK until 6 months after stopping breastfeeding, if I remember rightly.