Digital Eye Strain - Shadow Pandemic" in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic

A study which is about the "Digital Eye Strain - Shadow Pandemic" in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic"

The waves of the COVID-19 pandemic may have waned, hopefully; however, the pandemic has had its repercussions on various facets of health due our adapted lifestyle and behaviours through the pandemic, leading to the emergence of new lifestyle diseases. 

The study is recently published article titled "Let There Be Light-Digital Eye Strain (DES) in Children as a Shadow Pandemic in the Era of COVID-19: A Mini Review, lead authored by Sudip Bhattacharya an Indian clinician from Madurai.

At the outset, the authors have highlighted that Digital eye strain, which is often ignored by the public, has emerged as a "Shadow Pandemic" in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current paper is aimed at discussing the ill effect of digital screens on eyes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The narrative review covered all literature using "PubMed," "Google scholar", and "Scopus" using key terms like "Digital Eye Strain," "Eyestrain," or "Computer Vision Syndrome."

Studies conducted in the UK reported that 68% of children extensively use computers, while 54% undertake online activities after the age of 3. Similar studies estimated 4 h and 45 min per day of screen exposure time among adults in the UK. Indian studies reveal that the prevalence of DES is 69% in adults and 50% in children respectively.

The use of social media and multitasking is particularly prominent among younger adults, with 87% of individuals aged 20-29 years reporting the use of two or more digital devices simultaneously.

Indian ophthalmologists found that computer-using and specialized ophthalmologists were more informed of symptoms and diagnostic signs but were misinformed about treatment modalities.

The narrative concluded with the strong inference indicating that DES is emerging globally as a "Shadow Pandemic" and it is high time to respond. Community ophthalmologists, public health authorities, and educational sectors especially should be involved to prevent this magnanimous burden

The important message for clinicians and all stakeholders is Let there be MORE LIGHT on Digital Eye Strain, its burden, its ramifications on the lives of our generation at large and be sensitised towards its management.

Reference:

Bhattacharya, S., Heidler, P., Saleem, S. M., & Marzo, R. R. (2022). Let there be light-Digital Eye Strain (DES) in children as a shadow pandemic in the era of COVID-19: A mini review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.945082