Daily peek at eyecare
Possibly. According to recent research from the University of California, Berkeley, people with amblyopia (lazy eye) could improve their vision by playing video games. The study is of particular interest for adults because treating amblyopia becomes more difficult with age.
Read more about the study on CNET or on UC Berkeley’s news center. If you have amblyopia and think this could be beneficial to you, be sure to talk with your eye doctor.
Do your kids love video games? My grown-up kid (okay, husband) certainly does. He spends hours blasting orcs, voyaging through fabricated universes, and otherwise finding virtual ways to avoid chores.
But a recent study conducted at the University of Sydney has found that kids who spend more than an hour and half of screentime daily show signs of narrowed arteries in their eyes. These signs in adults can correlate with risk of high-blood pressure and heart disease.
The remedy? It’s a no-brainer: replace that hour and half of screentime with physical activity. I’ll try it with my husband. I hope you have better luck with your kids.
Justin Bazan, O.D. a Brooklyn-based VSP Provider, was featured in CrunchGear over the weekend, contributing to the popular tech blogger, John Biggs‘s review of the Nintendo 3DS, which launched 3/26 in the United States.
In the review, John discusses 3-D and vision:
I spoke to optometrist Dr. Justin Bazan about the potential problems associated with 3D viewing and he stated, with no uncertainty, that you can’t permanently damage your eyes by viewing the 3DS for extensive periods. He recommends a 20/20/20 habit – lifting your eyes and focusing somewhere 20 feet away every twenty minutes for 20 seconds. However, you will not go blind or suffer long-term damage.
“Moderation is beneficial,” he said. “Some people will feel sick or nauseous and in some cases the 3D could point to an underlying binocular vision disorder.”
He said that 3D images require both “sides” of the image to be perfectly clear. If one side of the image is blurry – meaning one of your eyes is seeing it incorrectly – this could mean a more pressing vision issue. He recommended that parents visit an optometrist if children cannot see the 3DS’ 3D features.
“If there’s a problem, go in for an eye exam, don’t just take the game away,” Bazan recommended.
Read the entire article.
Philip K. is a member of VSP's Enterprise Information Services and avid video gamer
Nintendo’s next handheld device, the Nintendo 3DS, is set to launch on March 27th. They have a lineup of 18 games coming out in 2011, 13 of which will be released on the 3DS launch date.
Along with the upcoming release comes a new recommendation from Nintendo that, to avoid motion sickness, users should take frequent breaks from playing. It looks like you might be seeing in-game messaging reminding users to take breaks. In-game reminders are not a bad idea, in my opinion.
The 20-20-20 rule is always a good gauge for providing relief to your eyes. Take breaks every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Following these guidelines will result in a better gaming experience, regardless of the gaming platform you use. The Nintendo 3DS is expected to be a big hit and I am interested in seeing it in action. For more information on how this new game console might impact your eyes, read the article from PCWorld Magazine with VSP Provider Nate Bonilla Warford, O.D of Bright Eyes Family Vision Care.
On a separate topic, I got my hands on some digital media glasses, designed for gaming and computer use. I will be testing these out over the next week or two and will reporting my findings. Stay tuned!
Image from The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D
Cleveland Rocks! Check out this clip from VSP Provider Peter Mogyordy, OD as he discusses 3-D effects on vision, especially with new technologies like the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system.
VSP provider Dr. Jeffrey Anshel wrote an article for education.com regarding keeping our kids eyes safe while using digital devices and avoiding Computer Vision Syndrome and tired eyes. Good advice for adults too. Read article.
So how much time do you estimate you or your kids spend per day looking at digital devices (smart phones, video games, tv, computers, etc.)? Leave us a comment.
Photo via education.com
