Selfies taken in the sun can cause eye injury, say Italian ophthalmologists. They also warn that staring at a smartphone or tablet for a long time can damage the retina of the eye.
The warning was issued by the Italian ophthalmologists’ ociation in connection with two cases reported in the medical journal “Journal of Medical Case Reports”. One of them concerns permanent damage to the retina of a 30-year-old who two days earlier read a book on a tablet for three hours during a trip to the mountains, and of a 20-year-old after staring at her phone for two hours on the beach.
“These are obvious examples of solar maculopathy,” or macular disease, explained Scipione Rossi, director of the ophthalmology department of a Roman hospital. As he noted, permanent damage to the eye and reduced vision may occur.
Looking directly at the sun, even for a few seconds, on the beach or in the mountains, looking for the perfect shot, can cause photothermal damage to the retina. It can also burn her irreversibly, as when observing a solar eclipse without special protection, the doctors explained.
They also noted that the screen of a smartphone or tablet exposed to the sun acts as a reflective surface, just like a mirror, and looking at it has a negative effect on the yellow spot on the retina.
According to ophthalmologists quoted by the ADNKronos agency, you should rather avoid taking selfies in the sun and prolonged use of a tablet and smartphone without sungles.
From Rome Sylwia Wysocka (PAP)
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