Our eyes are easily dry and tired from working in front of a computer for a long time or using contact lenses. However, eye strain should not be overlooked just because it happens all the time.
In particular, if you are over the age of 50, you should always pay attention to the health alerts given by your eyes and ears.
Former director of the Japanese Ophthalmic Society, Masayoshi Kajita (Director of Ophthalmology Kajita) explained the cause of ‘eye fatigue’ that should not be left unattended through the Japanese life magazine ‘Harumaku 365’.
◆ The more people like this, the more tired the eyes are!
Dr. Kajita says that the number of people who feel that their eyes are dry or that they feel too wet on the contrary, or feel pain in the inside of their eyes have increased recently.
In particular, people with the following characteristics say that their eyes are more likely to be tired.
① I have stiff shoulder and headache.
② My eyes are stiff and dry.
③ Opportunities to go out have decreased.
④ The amount of time spent looking at a smartphone or computer has increased.
◆ Smartphone and PC looking closely for a long time
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the time spent at home has increased, and the time spent looking at smartphones and PCs has increased more than ever.
Director Kajita said that the human eye was originally made to see well from a distance after a long hunting life, so focusing on a near field for a long period of time puts a lot of strain on the eyes.
When looking at an object, the ciliary muscle, which is responsible for focusing, lengthens or contracts the muscle to control the focus at far and near.
However, if you stare at a smartphone or the like for a long period of time, it becomes hard to focus at a close distance, making it difficult to focus properly, and your eyes become tired.
And it is said that the posture that causes the most eye strain is to look at the screen at an angle with the smartphone close to the eyes while lying down.
◆ Glasses that can see well and glasses that are easy on the eyes are different!
Using the wrong glasses or contact lenses can also cause eye strain.
According to Dr. Kajita, glasses that can see far away easily make the eyes tired. If you look at a near object with glasses or contact lenses that can see far away too well, the burden of focusing on your eyes increases and your eyes become tired.
Also, it is said that it is not good to use the same glasses for several years. It is said that the angle with the eyes is misaligned between use, which may cause eye fatigue. Therefore, it is emphasized that the eye condition and glasses should be checked by an ophthalmologist at least once every 1-2 years.
◆ Presbyopia
After the age of 50, presbyopia progresses rapidly. Director Kajita warns that if you do not wear glasses that match your eye condition during this time, your eyes will become more tired.
◆ It could be an eye disease…
If eye fatigue has rapidly worsened after the age of 50 or 60, ‘glaucoma’, ‘cataract’, and ‘aging-related macular degeneration’, in which the normal structure of the macula is damaged and the retina does not function properly, should be suspected.
As the vision is blurred and blurred due to an eye disease, the more you try to see, the more tired your eyes become.
Director Kajita said, “Fatigue is the first warning of a disease, so be careful.” 