‘HAPPY NEW YEAR’: While sending New Year’s greetings is good, avoid excessive screen time, which could lead to serious vision problems

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 25, 2020
By: Liao Hsueh-ju and Dennis Xie  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

People should watch out for the adverse effects of excessive mobile phone use during the Lunar

New Year holiday, especially with the trend of using messaging apps to send congratulatory remarks, which has made many highly susceptible to eye problems, an ophthalmologist said.

Dubbed “Lunar New Year mobile phone syndrome,” the condition commonly occurs during or after the holiday because of people staring at their screen for hours, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital ophthalmologist Chen Ying-shan (陳瑩山) said.

Excessive use of technological devices can lead to dry eyes, as well as put a strain on the ciliary muscles, which help the eyes automatically adjust to short and long-range vision,Chen said.

If a person spends extended periods looking at objects nearby, such as a computer or a phone, then their ciliary muscles would constantly be in a state of contraction, leading to muscle fatigue and loss of elasticity, the main causes of vision loss, he said.    [FULL  STORY]