Glaucoma and screen Time!?

[DarwinkaPiyo]

Is heavy screen time(say laptop, smartphone) considered a glaucoma risk factor? According to some studies, IOP increase is associated with screen time(especially in low light surroundings) yet my ophthalmologist do not think so.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

No way, if screen time caused glaucoma,  then glaucoma would be more common than COVID

[DarwinkaPiyo]

So such IOP increase (according to the study) should not be a cause of concern for otherwise healthy eyes? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6201904/
And is it possible to have otherwise elevated IOP due to such screen time but does not get picked up by ophthalmologists during office hours!? Would such a person be considered a glaucoma suspect or not? And if so, how?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You should not get hung up on on study published in an obscure, on line medical journal. Remember thee were studies that showed that smoking was good for you, that opioids were not addicting, and that coffee caused ulcers. The American Glaucoma Society is not concerned with screen time as a cause of glaucoma or increased IOP

[DarwinkaPiyo]

Oh Ok. Thanks for the addressing my concern, Doctor. Best wishes.

[JohnHaganMD]

Not that I wish to leave you with unnecessary anxiety but prolonged screen use (phones, computers, iPads, video games, reading) are a prime factor in the world-wide epidemic of myopia (near sighted). Spending time outdoors is the best anecdote for that.