Eye ailments increased during the coronavirus process!

Spending too much time at home and switching to distance education due to the coronavirus epidemic increased screen addiction. This situation caused an increase in eye disorders. Saying that sitting for hours in front of the computer screen forces the visual system to focus more, Specialist Dr. "Looking at the screen for a long time causes eye strain, dry eyes, headache, redness in the eye, stinging, watering, itching and blurred vision," said Hasan Küçükçelik.

Switching to distance education within the scope of Kovid-19 measures caused children to be exposed to the screen for a long time. Therefore, various eye complaints increased in children during the epidemic period. Emphasizing that the coronavirus has hidden effects on children, although it does not have a direct effect, Ophthalmology Specialist Dr. Hasan Küçükçelik said, “As we know from researches and case studies, the direct effect of Kovid-19 on children is lower compared to adults. However, the indirect and hidden effects of the disease can cause long-lasting consequences in children ”.

‘EYE AND ORTHOPEDIC PROBLEMS ARE ARRIVED’

Stating that eye and orthopedic problems emerged during the pandemic process, Dr. Hasan Küçükçelik said, “In many parts of the world, schools are closed and families are mostly stuck in their homes. As in the rest of the world, many educational institutions in our country try to meet the educational needs of school-age children with distance education. During the Kovid-19 epidemic, face-to-face training left its place to distance education, so this situation increases the use of TV, phone, tablet and computer, leading to negative consequences in terms of eye health. This situation has led to ocular and orthopedic problems in children and adolescents, especially due to sitting disorders. "Sitting for hours in front of the computer screen forces the visual system to focus more, causing eye fatigue, dry eyes, headache, eye redness, stinging, watering, itching and blurred vision."

'CHILDREN WILL BE EXPOSED TO SCREENED VEHICLES'

Stating that they do not find it appropriate for developing children to use devices with screens for more than 30 minutes twice a day in terms of eye health, Küçükçelik said, “In this period, our children will be exposed to screened devices for a long time due to compulsory online education, there are many points to pay attention to, including the sitting position in front of the screen. . First of all, refractive errors, if any, of children must be corrected completely, and for this, it is important that they undergo a complete eye examination at the beginning of each school year. Correcting these defects will also increase success. The choice of the device to be used in distance education is also important in terms of eye health. If possible, TV or desktop screens should be preferred instead of a tablet or laptop. "The sitting position in front of the screen should be upright and comfortable, the screen should not be too close (the screen eye distance should be over 60 centimeters), the upper limit of the screen should be at eye level, the environment should not be dark, the screen should not be bright," he said.

‘REST YOUR EYES!’

Dr. Küçükçelik recommended that children should rest their eyes by looking 5 meters or more away for a few minutes in the garden or balcony between each lesson. He noted that in the growing period, the distance vision is impaired in the child who constantly looks closer and if there is a genetic predisposition, myopia may develop or existing myopia will progress rapidly. Küçükçelik also stated that the rise of myopia can lead to various eye problems. Saying that as a result of being on the screen for a long time, the duration of the eye open increases, Küçükçelik warned that eye dryness may occur as a result. Küçükçelik pointed out that findings such as redness, watering, burning, stinging and blinking increase even more in dry environments, adding that keeping the environment moist can partially reduce the complaints of dryness.

SÜMEYRA KENESARI / YENİ HABER