3.4 years ago
@dlarochemd
Intraocular pressure change during reading or writing on smartphone
Ahnul Ha, Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing,#1,2 Young Kook Kim, Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing – review & editing,#1,2 Young Joo Park, Data curation, Formal analysis, Resources, Visualization,1,3 Jin Wook Jeoung, Data curation, Writing – review & editing,1,2 and Ki Ho Park, Conceptualization, Data curation, Supervision, Writing – review & editing1,2,*
Sanjoy Bhattacharya, Editor
Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the effect of reading or writing on a smartphone in terms of intraocular pressure (IOP) changes.
Design
Prospective, comparative case series.
Participants
Thirty-nine (39) healthy young (age < 40) volunteers.
Methods
The participants were requested to conduct standardized work (i.e., read a sample text on single mobile device and subsequently type it on the same device) under daylight [300 lux] and low-light [100 lux] conditions independently on consecutive days. On each day, three sets of IOP measurements (total: 7) using a rebound tonometer (iCare PRO; Tiolat, Helsinki, Finland) were performed: (1) pre-work (baseline) [2 measurements], (2) during smartphone work [5, 15, and 25 minutes], and (3) post-work [5 and 15 minutes].
Main outcome measures
Changes in IOP at different check-out points.
Results
Under the daylight condition, the mean baseline IOP was 13.7 ± 1.8 mmHg, and the mean IOP increased after 5 minutes of work (14.1 ± 1.8 mmHg; +2.0 ± 1.9%; P < 0.001). When the smartphone work lasted for 15 minutes, the IOP showed a further significant increase (15.5 ± 1.7 mmHg; +12.9 ± 4.4%; P < 0.001), which persisted over the course of the 25 minutes of smartphone work (15.3 ± 1.8 mmHg; +11.1 ± 3.9%; P < 0.001); then, after stopping work for 5 minutes, the IOP was restored (13.9 ± 1.7 mmHg; +0.9 ± 2.1%; P = 0.220). Under the low-light condition, the mean IOP was significantly increased immediately after 5 minutes of smartphone work (from 13.9 ± 1.9 to 15.6 ± 1.8 mmHg; +12.1 ± 4.8%; P < 0.001); this IOP increase continued: 17.3 ± 1.9 [+24.7 ± 10.3%] at 15 minutes’ work, and 17.0 ± 1.7 mmHg [+23.1 ± 9.5%] at 25 minutes’ work (P < 0.001 at both check-out points). Five minutes after stopping the smartphone work, interestingly, the IOP significantly dropped, to a level even lower than that of the pre-work (12.8 ± 1.9 mmHg; -8.1 ± 3.0%; P < 0.001), and at post-work 15 minutes, the IOP returned to the baseline (13.9 ± 1.8 mmHg; -0.3 ± 2.6%; P = 0.360).
Conclusions
In healthy young subjects, reading or writing on smartphone significantly increased IOP, and the changes of IOP were faster and greater under the low-light condition. Smartphone users who are concerned about IOP fluctuation are advised to (1) take a break if they read or write on smartphone for more than 5 minutes, and (2) avoid using smartphones wherever possible in dark places.
That's great news. Thanks for sharing the steps you used to solve the problem.
too much light in the room is also problematic; like lots of glaring morning sun
seems ambient light should sort of match computer light
otherwise eyeballs seem to get confused; don't know if they are working in a dark environment or light environment; and struggle