How to protect the eyesight of children from video games

Around 30% of the visual discomfort of children who come to optics are the result of the use of video games and other electronic devices. In addition, with changes in habits and increased sedentary lifestyle, this percentage is increasing. Video games exercise skills on children and can even help to

Video games exercise skills on children and can even help to focus more active children, but on the other hand, it can also lead to some vision problem in children.

Advantages and disadvantages for children's eyesight by the use of video games

As indicated by Elvira Jiménez, Optician-Optometrist and Master in Clinical Optometry of ALAIN AFFLELOU, videogame players require a series of physical conditions such as 'good sharpness' visual (good vision from afar), binocular vision to see a single image and in depth, good ocular motility to follow the movement of objects, accommodation to focus at different distances, wide visual field and good eye-hand coordination. If any of these skills fail us, we will begin to have visual problems such as blurred and / or double vision, headaches, eye pain, redness and irritation, dry eye or tearing'.

So important is how we face the consumption of video games as the exposure time we are before them. According to the expert from ALAIN AFFLELOU, 'the excessive use of video games can lead to significant variation in visual acuity, which can trigger myopia at a more adult age, conj conjunctival hyperemia or dry eye problems '.Wherever we use video games (television, mobile phones, computers or tablets), we must know that their use can alter the person's visual performance, which includes interaction with the environment, lighting, reflexes, nervous system fatigue, inappropriate postures, etc. The new generation 2.0 permanently connected to the screens

is in danger of having eyesight problems .But let's not forget, if we know how to use them with knowledge,

videogames also have positive consequences like the improvement of children's concentration capacity that contributes to improve coordination or increase of reflexes and visual memory; so much so, that there are specific video games for the treatment of the lazy eye. Tips to avoid damage to the child's vision due to the use of technological devices

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Elvira Jiménez recommends using video games for a maximum of 30-40 minutes and, if the game is extended, the ideal is to take breaks every 20 minutes. - To avoid any kind of complication, from the Alain Afflelou Foundation they recommend

to carry out periodic reviews , especially in the case of children, since by performing a complete visual examination these alterations can be detected and treated on time, some importance at early ages since between 15% and 30% of school failure is caused by untreated visual disturbances.Elvira Jiménez

Optician - Optometrist of the Alain Afflelou Foundation

(Quantitative data of the National College of Opticians)