How Do Video Games Affect Health and Vision?

Playing video games is a terrific way for kids and adults to have fun, meet new people, and learn. Yet they can also harm your health, both internally and externally. Poor sleep or low self-esteem are also examples of this. A lot of screen time needs to be corrected for your eyes. Spending too much time playing video games could result in joint and muscle pain.

Video games can genuinely improve several elements of health despite these bad qualities. Unique video games, for instance, can be used to treat vision impairments like amblyopia. Playing games with cooperative gameplay and other multiplayer elements can also enhance social skills. Here are some ways in which they can impact these areas:

Positive effects on health

Improved hand-eye coordination: Video games require players to react quickly and correctly to things that happen on-screen, which can help them improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Enhanced cognitive function: Certain video games, such as strategy games, can improve cognitive function by requiring players to solve problems and make decisions quickly.
Pain management: Studies have shown that playing video games can help people with chronic pain feel less pain by giving them something to do other than think about it.

Adverse effects on health

Sedentary behaviour: Video games are often played while sitting down, leading to a sedentary lifestyle and increasing the risk of obesity and other health issues.
Poor posture: Long gaming periods can cause players to adopt the poor posture, leading to back pain and other musculoskeletal problems.
Sleep problems: The blue light screens give off can mess up sleep patterns, leading to sleep problems and insomnia.

Eye Health

Video games may impact the health of your eyes. Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a condition that is linked to excessive screen time and video game playing and is one of the most often reported ailments. A long-term gaze on a screen with intense lighting can strain the eyes. It can cause symptoms like headaches, dry eyes, and impaired vision. Long periods of screen time are risky, but they're not the only ones. Screen glares, lousy posture, and inadequate lighting can also cause discomfort. Myopia (nearsightedness), a vision issue that cannot be repaired, can exacerbate symptoms. This results from the eyes having to strain themselves even more to focus.

Fortunately, there is a solution to solve these issues.

Use the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a break and look at anything 20 feet or further away for 20 seconds. Read about the 20-20-20 rule here.
Use computer or gaming glasses to protect your eyes from the harmful blue light that digital screens give off.
If you can, avoid using a screen at all.
Annually, have your eyes and vision examined.
Adopt good posture when sitting down to play a game. Make sure your seat is within the monitor.

Adverse effects on vision

Eye strain: Staring at a screen for long periods can cause eye strain, leading to headaches and blurry vision.
Dry eyes: Focusing on a screen can reduce the number of times a person blinks, leading to dry eyes and discomfort.
Myopia: Some studies have found that kids who play video games for long periods are more likely to get myopia (nearsightedness).

Increase Your Nutrients

Along with the other things you can do to protect your eyesight, a balanced diet is also essential. Below is a quick summary of several nutrients necessary for preserving good vision:

Vitamin A: Vitamin A aids in the healthy functioning of the retina and, according to a study, may also help lessen the consequences of vision issues brought on by ageing. This vitamin is abundant in dark leafy greens, fish oil, and carrots.
Lutein: This antioxidant is found in the retina and protects against macular degeneration and cataracts. Together with egg yolks, lutein is also present in green and yellow vegetables.
Selenium: Selenium aids in the body's absorption of other vitamins and nutrients. Walnuts and shellfish are the best sources of selenium.
It can be hard to keep track of all the essential nutrients for good vision, but these are just some of them.

Experts advise taking a multivitamin pill to ensure your eyes are getting the support they require. Furthermore, specific diets and allergies prevent you from consuming foods that contain these nutrients. If you can't get all the nutrients you need from your food, the Rebuild, Your Vision Ocu-Plus Formula gives you our unique blend. You'll be grateful for your eyes and vision.

Do video games improve eyesight

According to studies, playing video games can improve some disorders like amblyopia (lazy eye).

Amblyopia develops when one eye cannot achieve visual acuity with contacts or eyeglasses. Ophthalmologists frequently patch the dominant eye to strengthen the weaker one and treat the lazy eye. In extreme situations, additional treatments could be required.

According to a 2016 Retina Foundation of the Southwest study, some video games can help youngsters with amblyopia get their vision back on track. Twenty-eight kids with amblyopia were split into two groups and given different treatments over two weeks.

Over this time, one set of kids wore eye patches for two hours daily, every day (28 hours total). The second group spent ten days of the study playing a binocular iPad game while donning special anaglyph (3-D) eyewear (10 hours per day). The anaglyph glasses and eyepatch setup required each person's weaker eye to work harder.

Compared to the patching group, the children's visual acuity has improved more while playing the iPad game. Furthermore, the group that played games got better results faster.

According to the study, youngsters who played video games had a 1.5-line increase in visual acuity. Only 0.7 lines were added to the scores of the kids.

Conclusion

Overall, video game play can have an impact on vision. Long-term gaming can cause computer vision syndrome, eye discomfort, and eye strain.

Video game eye strain can be lessened in a few different ways. Your eyes can be protected by pausing, using artificial tears, and blinking frequently. Also, examining your eyes with an eye doctor routinely would be best. The time is now to take the first step: call us at Casey Optical Too the best optometrists in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to schedule your yearly comprehensive eye checkup.

It's essential to balance gaming and other activities that get you moving, help you stand up straight, and help you sleep well. Taking breaks and ensuring enough light can also help keep your eyes from getting worse from gaming.

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