With new releases and updates throughout the years, gaming continues to take over the world both as a hobby and as an industry. What’s more, a previous post illustrates the growing accessibility of video games through diverse platforms, with mobile gaming, in particular, seeing rapid and sustained growth in recent years. The low barrier to entry in mobile gaming has also led to diversity in game genres and designs, with developers going beyond the realm of entertainment to introduce games for health, wellness, and educational purposes.
But regardless of the game one plays and the platform they use, gaming itself isn’t completely without risks. For one, excessive hours spent on video games can be linked to mental health problems due to the lack of control over other activities like work and academics. Meanwhile, a research article published in the European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology, and Education also notes the adverse effects of gaming on eye health. Specifically, findings associate prolonged gaming periods with the frequency of digital eye strain symptoms, including physical comfort, dryness, and irritation.
Other studies link excessive gaming to the exacerbation of preexisting eye conditions like myopia and astigmatism. Such eye health risks can disproportionately affect gamers who wear contact lenses, entailing the following reminders to maintain visual clarity and comfort while gaming.
Ensure the right prescription for contact lenses
Compared to prescription glasses, corrective contact lenses can be more convenient to wear for gamers, as they provide a wider field of view and more seamless corrected vision. Since contacts fit snugly over the surface of the eye, there are also fewer gaming distractions, as opposed to having to adjust the glasses every time they move around the face.
When wearing contact lenses with a prescription, gamers must ensure that they are wearing the right type for their vision needs to reduce the risk of eye strain and fatigue. ContactsDirect’s online catalog of corrective lenses shows that brands like Dailies and Acuvue can accommodate single-vision and bifocal/multifocal prescriptions, as well as provide specially designed toric lenses for astigmatism. They can also choose between wear times like daily and monthly depending on their preferences.
Consider blue light protection
Another way to minimize the onset of digital eye strain symptoms is to use contact lenses with protective properties against blue light. Blue light is emitted by digital screens and can cause eye problems through prolonged exposure, making blue light protection essential for gamers, whether they use a computer, a video game console, or a smartphone.
In this regard, a viable option is Johnson & Johnson’s ACUVUE OASYS MAX 1-Day contact lenses, which incorporate the brand’s popular TearStable Technology and OptiBlue light filter for optimal comfort even when using digital devices throughout the day. The lens design is also intended to ease symptoms of eye strain and help the eyes feel less dry by prolonging the tear film and locking in moisture.
Practice proper cleaning and storage
Lastly, wearing contact lenses for more comfortable gaming entails proper care and storage. A contact lens care guide by the American Academy of Ophthalmology thus reminds wearers to ensure the lenses are clean and disinfected before putting them on. Besides washing the hands thoroughly before touching the contact lenses, it is also highly advisable to rub and rinse the eyewear using a contact lens cleaning solution. The storage case itself must also be rinsed with sterile contact lens solution — instead of tap water — to reduce the risk of contamination and eye infection.
By following the tips mentioned above, gamers who wear contact lenses for vision correction and protection can enjoy a comfortable gaming experience while also ensuring long-term eye health and safety.
