Does poor lighting affect vision? Doctors answer

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Due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s energy system, the lights in our homes continue to be turned off. Because of the short daylight hours in the winter, we are forced to light our homes with alternative methods: flashlights, lamps, candles. Can reading and doing household chores in blackout conditions lead to vision impairment? “Ukrainian Pravda. Life” spoke with ophthalmologists Olena Goncharenko, who works at a private Khmelnytskyi medical facility, and Victoria Ratushnyuk from the Dobrobut medical network and found out: how poor lighting affects vision; what devices are best to use when the electricity is turned off; how to preserve vision in poor light. .Read also: Without light – you cannot survive. What problems do the most vulnerable patients face during war Can turning off the lights affect vision? Doctor Victoria Ratushniuk agrees with the statement that in conditions of blackout and the use of low-quality lighting in the dark, eyesight can deteriorate. At night, the load on the eyes increases, a person blinks less often. There may be a feeling of sand inside, discomfort, sudden tearing, redness. Darkness can lead to accidental trauma to the eyes, which can cause vision impairment. Ophthalmologist Viktoriya Ratushnyuk “It is more difficult to focus the eyes correctly in poor lighting, but this does not have a permanent effect on the structure of the eyes,” explains Dr. Kim from the United States for UAMS Health. “In addition, any excessive visual activity reduces the frequency of blinking and leads to discomfort and drying up”. Also, improper lighting will manifest itself in a person with rapid fatigue, headaches, etc. “The risk group in conditions of blackout are people with existing visual impairments: nearsightedness, farsightedness, strabismus, glaucoma, etc. The eyes get tired faster from low-quality light. Therefore, diseases that were previously unnoticed may appear. Consultation with a doctor in such conditions is vital.” , – adds Victoria Ratushniuk. Victoria Ratushniuk emphasizes that it is very harmful to use gadgets in the dark. They are the main source of blue light. This affects the retina and can lead to progression of eye diseases. At risk are people with a vision impairment such as glaucoma. After all, the disease can lead to complete blindness. Therefore, the ophthalmologist advises patients with such a diagnosis to carefully monitor the lighting in conditions of turning off the lights. The main group at risk of vision impairment without light is children. Victoria Ratushniuk says that the eyes of the smallest are still growing and developing. Therefore, the lack of light is much worse for them than for adults. When a child is in poor lighting conditions, he strains his vision much more, because he looks more intently and leans closer. It is important to take into account, according to the doctor, the genetic predisposition to the development of eye diseases. For example, myopia, astigmatism or other anomalies, in conditions of low-quality lighting, they manifest themselves much faster. Those children who already have visual impairments may suffer the most. “I categorically do not recommend candles or other low-quality artificial light to minors,” says Victoria Ratushniak. Read also: “If there is no anger, we will be destroyed as individuals and as a nation.” Interview with a psychologist about emotions during the war. She adds that during a blackout, the child is very often distracted by gadgets. It is important to reduce the time spent with phones, tablets or at the computer. What kind of lighting is best to use? According to doctor Olena Goncharenko, the first thing to do in conditions of blackout at night is to install a full-fledged light source in the apartment. The best thing is two lamps in one room at the same time. Such lighting is needed both for working with gadgets, reading, and for relaxing or doing household chores. She emphasizes that you can hang a lantern on a chandelier – to imitate general lighting and also add local, so that a person does not sit in total darkness with only the light of a computer monitor or other gadget. Doctor Olena Goncharenko “If you buy a flashlight iki or lamps for use when turning off the light, it is better to purchase devices with a capacity of about 4 thousand Kelvin (color temperature of light). Usually, you can see similar marks on light bulbs or lanterns,” says the doctor. In her words, you should also pay attention to the abbreviation CRI (color rendering of light). Honest manufacturers label it. The higher this number, the better. The best option is 80-90. Less will lead to distortion of surrounding objects, which can harm your own vision. “If possible, I advise you to buy a child a battery-operated led lamp. It is better than a quality phone. This option is much more useful for the health of the eyes,” says doctor Olena Goncharenko. Victoria Ratushnyuk emphasizes that it is best to use high-quality LED or battery lamps that do not flicker and give diffused light. Headlamps or other flashlights, Christmas garlands or candles are only suitable for dealing with urgent matters for a few minutes. Photo: liukov/Depositphotos She adds that when choosing gadgets to use when the lights are turned off, the best ones are those that are as far away as possible. away from the eyes. Larger ones are better: a stationary computer or a laptop. The recommended distance from the gadget to the eyes is from 40 to 70 cm. How to minimize the harm of poor lighting? Doctor Viktoria Ratyushniuk emphasizes that it is very important to take care of alternative lighting. If there is no opportunities, and you feel tired, then it is better to rest or postpone all matters for the daytime or when normal appears lighting According to her, if you feel that your eyes are tired, dry, hurt or feel like sand, then you should start using moisturizing drops. In order to choose the necessary ones, you need to consult a doctor. “There are those that are more suitable for young people, there are those that can be used at an older age or with certain eye diseases. Also, the treatment must be coordinated with other drugs used by the patient, – adds Ms. Victoria. – It is important to consider whether there were the patient has surgical interventions on the eyes. There is no medicine that will suit everyone equally.” will not solve the problem of poor lighting. Victoria Ratushniak says that if gadgets have modes for viewing in the dark, then it is worth using them. After all, they are designed to reduce the amount of blue spectrum, which has a bad effect on vision. For adults with retinal problems, the doctor recommends using gadgets no more than 60 minutes a day. “There are many studies that confirm that the best for the development of a child’s vision and for its preservation in adults is influenced by who spends more time outside during the day. It also prevents the development of myopia,” the ophthalmologist adds. The doctor stressed that schoolchildren should also do their homework during the day. According to Olena Goncharenko, in order to maintain good eyesight, you should review your diet. Food containing antioxidants – lutein and zeaxanthin – will be useful. Both are found mainly in green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, lettuce, etc.). The second – in bright yellow and fruits (carrots, citrus fruits, saffron, paprika, pumpkin). It is necessary to remember your own allergic reactions to a separate group of products. According to her, it will not hurt to move every 20-30 minutes in poor lighting, and especially when using gadgets. It is useful to play table tennis, because it is not only an opportunity to move, but also to refocus your gaze from the near to the far distance. Olena Goncharenko says that with some diseases, attending hardware treatment procedures will have a good effect on the restoration of vision. This is a kind of gym for vision, although not a panacea. Only an ophthalmologist can prescribe the procedure. She says that it is definitely worth paying attention if a child looks closely at gadgets or bends down while doing homework. Then it must be shown to an ophthalmologist in order to respond to possible problems in time. It is also necessary to walk outside with children more during the day. Photo: Syda_Productions/Depositphotos “It is very good to visit an ophthalmologist, even when there are no problems. There are simply many hidden problems in the body, due to the resource of our body, we simply do not notice them. In conditions of poor lighting, all pathologies can emerge and become a problem,” the doctor adds. She adds that if an adult or a child is forced to work in poor lighting conditions, it is better to consult a doctor and warn of possible complications. Read also: “Parents invented a leg on which the fingers will move.” How the first child who lost a limb in the war is prosthetics in Ukraine

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