Between work, everyday communication and Netflix, most of us stare at computer and smart phone screens for hours each day. What impact does all this screen-time have on our eyesight?
Chris Ebbehoj considers himself a lucky man. He’s just participated in a study of early intervention for vision loss in diabetic patients and he now feels more optimistic about his outcomes. The study looks at diabetic macular edema (DME)—a swelling of the retina caused by high blood sugar levels. It’s the leading cause of vision loss in the adult population as a whole.
Thirty-year-old Vancouver resident Aaron Brown has experienced concussions in the past, but a concussion two years ago—from a cycling accident that launched him into a ditch—felt different. It has been a slower than usual road to recovery and Brown still doesn’t feel 100 per cent.
A new study shows men with glaucoma are two and a half times more likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED) than men without the eye disease. The link between the two conditions has been firmly established by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute research scientist Dr. Frederick S. Mikelberg. Using population data and a clinical study, Dr. Mikelberg followed up on a Taiwanese study that first linked erectile dysfunction to glaucoma. Dr. Mikelberg and his colleagues were curious to see if they could find a reason for the correlation.
More than 10 years ago, 77-year-old Vancouver resident Barbara McWilliams visited an optometrist thinking that she needed a stronger prescription for her glasses. Instead, she learned that she had dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that had already robbed her older brother of most of his vision. AMD damages the cells in the eye’s macula, which is the centre portion of the retina that allows for seeing objects clearly. There are approximately 1.4 million Canadians living with AMD and it is the leading cause of vision loss in Canada.1
More than 10 years ago, 77-year-old Vancouver resident Barbara McWilliams visited an optometrist thinking that she needed a stronger prescription for her glasses. Instead, she learned that she had dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that had already robbed her older brother of most of his vision. AMD damages the cells in the eye’s macula, which is the centre portion of the retina that allows for seeing objects clearly. There are approximately 1.4 million Canadians living with AMD and it is the leading cause of vision loss in Canada1.
Every month, Sechelt resident Dale Adlem makes the trip into Vancouver to participate in a clinical trial for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (or wet AMD)–a chronic eye disease she was diagnosed with last year that is the most common cause of permanent and irreversible vision loss in people over 65. The trip is not the easiest outing for the 83-year old, with a ferry ride and traffic to get through, but the thought of her grandchildren and the possible impact that this study may have on their lives motivates her to keep going.
Q: I feel like I’m looking at a screen almost constantly between my home laptop, work computer, and phone. Could this be damaging my eyes?
A: Today, more of us are spending more time looking at our computers, tablets, and smartphones. Some people experience no eye problems at all from lots of screen time, while others have some or all of the following symptoms:
