Impact of prolonged digital screens exposure on ocular surface and management

Abstract

Background:Prolonged digital screen exposure is the cause of several symptomatic eye issues.Aim:To evaluate the effect of prolonged screen time on ocular surface.Material and methods:This was a prospective, observational and longitudinal study was conducted on 314 patients at Military Hospital Jabalpur from 2012 to 2014.Result:Age of subjects ranged from 18 years to 80 years with mean age of 39.6 ± 16.4 years. There were 163 males and 151 females. Head ache was commonest symptom followed by redness. OSDI score, Schiemers and F – BUT was significantly differed in those with < 8 hours of exposure and those > 8 hours of exposure. Corneal straining and central corneal straining also differed in both groups. Lubricating eye drops provided significant relief.Conclusion :Prolonged digital exposure causes various symptoms in the eye ranging from redness to irritation to dry eyes. Higher the exposure time, higher is the damage – both conjuctival and corneal. Lubricants have role in mitigating such symptoms.