Recently, there was an article titled ‘Amazing! Don’t look at the phone again after turning off the lights at night’. The article is widely spread in the parents’ group. Playing phones for more than 30 minutes can cause macular lesions in the eyes. Moreover, it can cause rapid deterioration of vision and even blindness.
Does playing phones in the dark really cause macular degeneration or even blindness? According to the report, Professor Sun Xiaodong, the vice president of Shanghai First People’s Hospital and the executive deputy director of the Ophthalmology Clinical Medicine Center, pointed out that this statement has no scientific basis. But at night, the pupils will naturally enlarge and there will be more light entering the macular area of the eye. This also includes the light emitted by video terminals such as smartphones and tablets. So it may cause visual fatigue due to high contrast with the environment, and strong light may also affect the sleep rhythm.
So Is Playing Phones At Night Harmful?
It is reported that the macula is an important anatomical structure in the center of the fundus, less than 0.07 square millimeters. But this area gathers 80% of visual information. And it is the most sensitive part of the vision. Also, it has a high-oxygen nerve tissue with great energy demand. With the increase of age, long-term light stimulation and other factors, the macular retina and other cells produce lesions, causing visual dysfunction and decreased vision. They are called age-related macular degeneration, which has become one of the eye diseases of the elderly.
Macular degeneration is divided into dry and wet. Dryness is characterized by mild blurred vision, visual distortion, and decreased visual acuity. In severe cases, central dark spots appear in the visual field. Once developed to wet, 90% of patients will become severely low vision or blind within a year.
Professor Sun Xiaodong reminded the prevention of age-related macular degeneration must start from the youth, develop good eye habits, avoid too long exposure to electronic products. When it comes to glare or go out to play, it is better to wear sunglasses to prevent light damage to the eyes.