Your Smartphone Habit Could Raise Your Glaucoma Risk

The risk to your eyes may depend on more than how long you stare at a smartphone. Doctors warn that using one for extended periods in the dark or while lying face down can also affect pressure inside the eye.

Intraocular pressure helps maintain the eye’s shape and normal function. The eye regulates it through the production, circulation and drainage of aqueous humor. If pressure rises too much, it can damage the optic nerve and cause the characteristic visual-field loss associated with glaucoma.

Focusing on a smartphone or tablet at close range for a long time can thicken the lens and move the iris forward. That may interfere with the flow of aqueous humor and potentially contribute to higher eye pressure. Darkness can also enlarge the pupils. For people with narrow anterior angles, that change may make fluid drainage more difficult and increase the possibility of an acute angle-closure glaucoma attack.

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Many people worry about using smart devices for a long time itself, but in reality, the conditions and posture during use can affect intraocular pressure.

Posture can add another strain. Lying face down may increase venous pressure around the eyes, while pressure from a pillow or bedding can place additional force on the area. These habits alone do not cause glaucoma, doctors say, but people with farsightedness, a family history of the disease, narrow anterior angles or age-related lens thickening may be more vulnerable.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma often begins suddenly. Symptoms can include severe eye pain, redness, blurred vision and rainbow-colored halos around lights. A rapid pressure rise may also cause headache, nausea and vomiting, making the condition resemble migraine or a digestive illness. Delayed treatment can leave irreversible optic-nerve damage. Doctors recommend using screens with adequate lighting, sitting upright, looking into the distance during long periods of close work and seeking care for recurring eye strain, visual changes or eye pain.

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It is important to avoid the habit of looking at a smartphone for a long time in dark places or remaining face down for extended periods, and to seek ophthalmic care without delay if eye pain or blurred vision occurs.