Two women in their 20s and 40s had repeated 15-minute vision blackouts from scrolling sideways in bed, one eye adjusted to light, one to dark. Doctors warn of lasting damage, citing Harvard blue-light research.
The connection was discovered when two women, aged 22 and 44, visited an eye doctor because they had experienced several 15-minute episodes of vision loss. After many tests and examinations that did not reveal the cause of the problem, the doctors decided to conduct a lifestyle study of the women. Surprisingly, the causes of their vision problems lay in their lifestyle.
Why Does Temporary Vision Loss Occur When Using a Phone in the Dark?
It turned out that these women were very active mobile phone users in the dark before falling asleep. The problem arose from the dark environment and the position in which they were looking at their phone screens.
The women mentioned above used their phones while lying on their side in bed. This position creates a situation where one eye is fully focused on the screen while the other is partially hidden behind the pillow. As a result, one eye adjusts to the light of the screen, while the other adjusts to significantly darker light.
When the mobile phone is turned off or goes to sleep, the brain becomes confused and cannot understand why one eye has been operating in daylight mode and the other in night mode. This is why people experience temporary vision loss. If this occurs too frequently, it can result in permanent eye damage.
The Effects of Blue Light on the Eyes and Health
Most people underestimate the negative impact of mobile phones and computers on the eyes, but they should not. There is a clear link between deteriorating vision and the light emitted by screens.
We do not wish to alarm anyone, but health experts at Harvard University have confirmed that there is a connection between blue light (from mobile phones, computers, etc.) and various types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and excess weight.
Take care of your eyes!
Why do I lose vision temporarily after using my phone in the dark?Can using phone in bed cause vision problems?What is transient smartphone blindness?How does blue light from screens affect eye health?Is it bad to use phone with one eye in the dark?Can phone screens cause permanent eye damage?Why does one eye see differently after phone use at night?How to protect eyes from phone screen at night?What did Harvard study say about blue light and health?Should I stop using my phone before bed for eye health?
KSA Vision Clinic is Estonia's leading eye clinic, specialising in Flow3 laser correction, dry eye diagnostics and treatment, and comprehensive eye examinations. Our blog shares expert knowledge about eye health.