Relax, it’s good for your eyes!

MANILA, Philippines - It’s something you’ve come to take for granted — the amount of time you spend staring at a digital screen.Research shows that most people these days spend at least seven hours and 24 minutes per day on average using at least four different devices. At least 34% of the time is spent on smartphones, 33% on TV, 23% on laptops, and 10% on tablets. At times, these devices are used simultaneously. The digital behavior is called “multi-screening.”  Having to focus on bright digital screens at varying distances for too long can result in “digital eyestrain.” Add to that, the harmful effect of blue light emitted by digital screens. No wonder you get those pesky headaches which you try to ignore but nonetheless suffer from much too often.

Welcome to the “digital world.”

“Things are changing, there’s no doubt about that — the way we are doing things, the way we are living now,” says Colin Madigan, Essilor director for education and professional services for Asia Pacific, Middle East, Russia, and Africa. “In 1982, when I was 14 years old, I spent one hour a week on the computer. When I was in university in 1989, I spent three hours a week. Now, I average seven hours a day. Our new connected lifestyle just created extra work for our eyes. It’s not going to kill us. It will not make us go blind. It’s just annoying.”

“A lot of people are complaining of tired eyes,” Madigan observes. “They complain that the screens are too bright and there’s a lot of  small details their eyes need to focus on. There are so many demands so that at the end of the day, their eyes are tired.” It is reported that three out of four people suffer from visual fatigue.

Drawing on extensive research, Essilor, the leading ophthalmic optics company, designed a new range of lenses to address this modern-day eye health concern. “The lenses are designed for people living a connected life, which is a lot of people nowadays,” Madigan explains. “Crizal Eyezen lenses feature three revolutionary technologies: Eyezen Focus Technology, Light Scan Technology, and WAVE Technology.”

Eyezen Focus Technology helps relieve the eye’s focus when using digital devices and reduces eye strain in ultra-near distances or for reading small characters by giving extra power in the lower portion of the ophthalmic lens. It helps support the eyes and allows them to continue to do their natural focusing for a longer period of time.

Light Scan Technology is a unique light- filtering technology, which protects eyes from the harmful blue-violet light emitted by digital screens. “There has been a lot of research about eye comfort and blue light,” Madigan shares. “Even while the screen looks white, it actually has a lot of blue. Light Scan reflects some of the blue away from the user so they get less blue, which improves contrast in what they are looking at in comfort. It filters up to 20% of harmful blue-violet light rays while letting beneficial blue-turquoise light to pass through.”

WAVE Technology eliminates lens distortion for sharper, clearer vision at every distance and better vision even in low light. Eyezen lenses represent the latest in Essilor technological innovation. “They are actually for normal eyes,” Madigan explains, “but can also be incorporated for people who wear short-sighted or far-sighted prescription glasses.

It may also be worn over contact lenses. They are available in clear as well as Crizal Transitions. It has become increasingly common even among those who do not need prescription glasses, to wear these lenses to protect their eyes from blue light exposure and reduce eye fatigue that can result from long hours spent before digital screens and devices.

“Fundamentally, the main technology is that it relaxes the eyes from digital strain,” Madigan says. “An independent research done in France among those who used the product gave impressive response. Over 90% felt Eyezen lenses helped with relaxation, which for a consumer study is very high. Even aspirin gets rid of headaches only 60%, not 90%.”  Ultimately, Eyezen lenses promote visual health.

“While ordinary glasses help you see the world, Eyezen enhances the way you live in it,” notes Essilor Philippines general manager Dr. Emelita Roleda. “With clearer, sharper vision, you can connect to the digital world better while getting protection for your eyes at the same time.”

Crizal Eyezen lenses are now available in the Philippines, at leading optical shops.

For more information, visit the Crizal Eyezen Facebook page, www.facebook.com/crizaleyezenph.