Ever heard of the blue light?
Ang main source nito ay ang araw, pero kahit nasa loob ka ng bahay o opisina, exposed ka pa rin dahil sa fluorescent at LED lighting, gayundin sa flat-screen TV.
Present din ito sa mga gadgets—computers, laptops, smart phones, at tablets.
Kaya nababahala ang mga doctors sa posibleng epekto nito sa mata.
ANO ANG DAHILAN NG PAGLABO NG MATA?
Usually, hereditary ito. Kaya kung maagang nagsalamin ang mga parents, most likely, pati mga anak din.
But these days, dahil sa Internet age, may role ang blue light, which can penetrate all the way to the retina, where light gets converted into “neural signals,” which are responsible for visual recognition.
Kapag parating nakababad ang mga mata mo sa display screens, in the long run, mada-damage ang mga light-sensitive cells sa retina. At kapag nangyari ito, hindi lang paglabo ng mata ang posibleng mangyari.
Ayon sa opthalmologist na si Dr. Mayen Mercado, na nakausap ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa press rounds ng Vision Express, "It can lead to blindness."
Ang paliwanag ni Dr. Mercado ay may kinalaman sa lutein, isang eye nutrient.
"Lutein kasi is actually a component in our eye where it serves as a natural sunglasses, so it actually filters, you know, mga degeneration of the macula. Primarily of the macula because the macula is part of our eye which is responsible for our central vision. So it serves as a protection for our macula, and it degenerates.
"Nawawala yung lutein content if we are continuously exposed to digital devices, and also, what we call the harmful energy—the high energy visible light, which is the blue light.
"Dati kasi di ba, we only have protection against UV? But now, because of the emergence of the digital devices, of the LED lights, there's a study na you are at risk of developing some diseases and also the digital eye strain as well."
Inevitable ang macular degenration dahil sa age.
But because of exposure to blue light, mas napapaaga ang paglabo ng mga mata.
Sa pagpapatuloy ng opthalmalogist, "For age-related macular degeneration, it usually starts at the age of 55, but now that people are really exposed to those devices, it starts earlier. Studies show nga na as early as 10 years old."
PAANO MAIIWASAN ANG PAGLABO NG MATA?
Kailangang bawasan talaga ang screen time. But since hindi maiiwasan dahil halos lahat (maging ang textbooks ay ebooks na) ay nasa gadgets na, makakatulong ang mga sumusunod:
1. Lutein supplements
"Yung mga supplemnts, they have the right dosage needed by the eyes. Yup, nakakatulong," ani Dr. Mercado.
2. Blue light glasses
"There are eyeglasses that can block the harmful high energy visible light. They help filter out the blue light that would lead to the degeneration of the lutein content of the eye."
3. Green Leafy Vegetables and fruits
Heto ang mga binanggit ng eye doctor: kale, spinach, broccoli, red pepper, squash, and peas; orange juice, honeydew melon, kiwi, at grapes.
Kale is one of the best sources of lutein. According to HealthLine.com, nasa 48–115 mcg per gram kumpara sa carrots na may 2.5–5.1 mcg of lutein per gram.
Dr. Mercado added, "Yung egg yolk, yung high-fat content niya is good for the absorption of these nutrients."