A warning from your eye doctor about virtual reality goggles: they could put you and your children at a higher risk for near-sightedness.
According to Dr. Amanda Hoelscher, an optometrist at Key-Whitman Eye Center in Dallas, extensive VR headset use can increase the risk for myopia in two ways.
Hoelscher considers one to three hours to be extensive use and says there are two theories regarding what factors increase the risk for nearsightedness - or myopia: Lack of exposure to natural sunlight and extensive time spent looking at things up close.
"If children are alternating times between the computer and headsets, parents really need to be aware of long term problems that could be brought on by this new technology," said Hoelscher.
Symptoms vary from person to person.
Hoelscher said typically symptoms show faster in older adults, but due to children, teens and millennials spending so much time with devices, she’s noticed a rise in problematic symptoms in her younger patients.
Her tip: Exposure to natural sunlight is important for eye development and parents need to make sure their child enjoys regularly scheduled outdoor playtime to help ensure eye health and deter vision loss.
