3 Eye Care Tips For Women Gamers

Written byWendy Hours Last Updated on
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Amid the rise of video gaming, especially the introduction of unisex and cozy gaming titles, studies have found that women are steadily taking up a portion of the overall gamer population.

For instance, surveys regarding Switch gamers noted that the number of women who played on this medium increased from 6.5% to 13.2% in a single year. This is compared to the modest 1.3% rise among their male counterparts.

Given that gaming has multiple benefits, such as stress relief and creative stimulation, it’s no wonder that many women are turning to this activity as a positive outlet.

However, given the extended screen time that this hobby necessitates, it does have potential adverse effects on the eyes. This is even why computer vision syndrome now affects up to 60% of people globally.

For women, who are naturally more inclined to develop ocular concerns due to biology, this can result in even more pressing eye health issues that can impact not just gaming but other aspects of daily life, too.

With this in mind, here are three simple but effective eye care tips that women gamers should observe.

Schedule regular eye tests

On average, upwards of 40% of Brits are overdue an eye test.

This is worrisome, considering that this is usually the only way to catch budding eye problems before they worsen.

These include serious vision loss-causing diseases, like glaucoma and cataracts, which are more naturally more prevalent in women.

According to the eye care provider Vision Express, eye tests should done once every two years with licenced opticians. During these tests, a healthcare professional will be able to gauge your vision accurately, screen your eye wellness, look out for early stages of different ocular concerns, and even assess UV protection.

The good news is that these are accessible even from high street opticians and can be booked online.

For gamers whose eyes are under more strain than their peers, having an eye test ensures that you’re not overlooking any serious issues that excessive gaming may trigger while also receiving key management plans to preserve vision, as needed.

Use protective gaming gear

Allegedly, one of the biggest reasons why gaming and too much screen use are potentially harmful to the eyes is the blue light they emit.

Because this can deregulate certain bodily processes, including blinking and eye focus, it can result in ocular fatigue that hinders the eyes’ rest and recovery.

Over time, this can also increase the likelihood of other vision-related issues, such as dry eye, given that reduced blinking impairs the organs’ lubrication.

Women, on average, are up to three times more likely to have dry eyes than men.

Aside from being mindful of screen time, it also helps to use gear that specifically targets blue light penetration. For instance, the physical screen shields from the brand Ocushield are designed to reduce up to 54% of harmful blue light.

Since these can be stuck onto most devices, they can work well on gaming PC monitors or even handheld devices.

Make time for eye breaks

During eye-intensive activities like gaming, the eyes are put under even more duress, which can lead to overuse and even injury, given that they’re forced to hyperfocus on overly bright and unnaturally angled monitors for extended periods.

According to an Ofcom report, most adult women in the UK clock over six hours of screen use every day.

Over time, this can result in the eyes having difficulty working at other distances, which leads to refractive errors.

In order to prevent this, it helps to make time for eye breaks.

To make these breaks even more hard-working, you can try integrating in exercises. MedicalNewsToday suggests doing the 20-20-20 exercise, in which every 20 minutes, you focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

By doing so, the eyes are able to reset and “stretch”, thereby helping prevent muscular aches and nerve challenges.

Wendy
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