Report: Woman Temporarily Blinded After Spending Too Much Time on Smartphone
A woman in China temporarily lost her vision in one eye after using her cellphone for an excessive amount of time, according to a recent report.
In the age of digital addiction, smartphones are constantly at hand. However, the side-effects of continual phone usage can be worse than just a little distraction — or a dinner companion finding you rude.
A woman who has chosen to remain anonymous recently discovered that by spending too much time on her phone, she was forcing her eyes into overdrive. And as it turned out, the results were surprisingly extreme.
“The patient stayed up all night playing on her mobile phone,” Dr. Qiu Wangjian of Songgang People’s Hospital told AsiaWire, according to Fox News.
“The following morning, as soon as she woke up, she picked up her phone and started to use it again. About five minutes later, the patient discovered that she was unable to see out of her left eye. She couldn’t see anything.”
The woman’s vision had completely vanished in her left eye as a result of burst blood vessels caused by over-strain.
Because only one eye was impacted, the woman was able to get herself to the hospital, according to AsiaWire, WPLG reported.
“It was important that we treated her quickly in order for her to not suffer any long-term effects,” Wangjian said.
Scans revealed large splotches of blood along the surface of the woman’s retina that were responsible for blocking her vision, Fox News reported.
She was diagnosed with Valsalva retinopathy, which “leads to a rapid rise of intravenous pressure within the eye, causing retinal vessels to spontaneously rupture,” according to Medscape.
Doctors believed her illness was a direct result of physical exertion, WPLG reported.
According to AsiaWire’s report, Physicians quickly got to work treating the condition, using laser surgery to open a small hole in the woman’s retina. This allowed the blood to drain, ultimately restoring her vision.
However, had she waited longer to seek treatment, she might have experienced permanent damage, according to Wangjian.
Blue light from cellphones and computers has been known to put a significant strain on the eye, according to studies done by multiple organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
The AAO reported that too much screen time can not only damage the eyes but also inhibit sleep and cause dry eye and headaches.
The organization urged those who use digital devices for work or entertainment to minimize risks by utilizing artificial tears, limiting exposure at night and using matte screen filters on phones, in order to reduce glare.
It also encouraged users to give their eyes frequent breaks. In other words, don’t stay up all night on your phone or you might be looking at an expensive hospital bill.
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