Robert DiMartino, OD, professor of Clinical Optometry and Vision Science at the University of California, Berkeley, and a board member of BerkeleyWellness.com, warns about the effects of overuse of laptop computers, tablets, cell phones, and now iWatches on our vision. With the growing popularity of mobile devices, most of us spend more and more of our time interacting with the world on small glowing screens. While there are many benefits to having the world at our fingertips, spending too much time focusing up close may be harming our eyes. Dr. DiMartino explains the threat and what we can do to keep our eyes healthy.
First, is there evidence that vision problems are on the rise?
Absolutely. Several studies have tracked a dramatic increase in myopia, or near-sightedness, among people in Asian countries, especially China. Sixty years ago, only 10 to 20 percent of the Chinese population was near-sighted. Today 90 percent of children and young adults have myopia, according to research. And now we’re seeing the same trend in the west. A growing number of people are becoming nearsighted. And the degree of nearsightedness is becoming more extreme. So there’s an increase both in the prevalence and the magnitude of myopia.
Read the full interview at the Berkeley Wellness Center.
