National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCB & VI) Dimapur District organized an eye screening and awareness programme at National Institute of Open School (NIOS), Purana Bazaar, Dimapur District on October 9.
Dr Asonla Aying, Senior Specialist, District Hospital Dimapur raised awareness about World Sight Day and its significance. She highlighted the growing concern of prolonged screen time, noting that adults typically spend 6-8 hours daily on screens, while children spend around 3-6 hours, contributing to declining eye health.
She further listed some of the key eye healthy issues from screen time: Digital Eye Strain or Computer Vision Syndrome- an eye health issue due to prolong use of computer or digital devices. The symptoms include dry eyes, blurred vision, headache, neck and shoulder pain. This eye strain is caused by reduced blinking. People blink 60% less while using screens.
Myopia is another vision condition, also known as nearsightedness, where close object are seen clearly and distant object appears blurry. It is projected that by 2050 50% of the world population will be myopic. It affects both adults and children. Although it is caused by genetic and environmental factors, lack of outdoor activities and excessive near work or screen time are the major contributors. Symptoms include difficulty seeing distant object, squinting or partially closing the eyes to see clearly, headaches or eye strain.
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She also shared some practical tips for healthy eyes such as 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, adjust screen brightness to match surroundings, position screen 20-26 inches from eyes, slightly below eye level, use artificial tears to keep the eyes moist, increase font size to reduce eye strain, enable blue light filter, take regular breaks and blink consciously, ensure proper lighting, avoid glare, get comprehensive eye exams annually, etc.
A total of 150 students attended the awareness programme and also underwent eye screening. The NPCB & VI team was led by Dr Asonla Aying, Senior Specialist, and included Opthalmic Assistants, Imkong and Kepito, Zhovinuo, DEO, and Tainla, attendant.
