These days, many people say they feel presbyopia is arriving even in their 30s. While Donguibogam emphasized connections with internal organs, modern medicine explains this through more specific physiological mechanisms. What we commonly call presbyopia is a phenomenon where the elasticity of the crystalline lens decreases and the accommodative power of the ciliary muscle around the crystalline lens weakens, making it difficult to see near distances. However, the appearance of this symptom in one's 30s is a somewhat different issue from presbyopia arising simply from aging. It is highly likely a form of digital eye strain, often referred to as pseudopresbyopia or early presbyopia.
Staring at smartphone or computer screens for long periods places the eyes under excessive strain as they constantly focus at close range. In particular, blue light can aggravate eye fatigue and induce oxidative stress in the retina. Continuous near work exhausts the ciliary muscle, making it stiff just like muscle pain after excessive exercise. Because of this, the muscle should relax when looking at distant objects, but it fails to release properly, making focus transitions difficult, causing dim and gritty eyes, and potentially accompanying headaches.
Furthermore, chronic stress and irregular lifestyle habits cause autonomic nervous system imbalance in our body. When the sympathetic nerve is excessively activated, microvessels around the eyes constrict and disrupt smooth blood supply, leading to nutrient and oxygen deficiency in the eyes and accelerating cellular senescence. Additionally, the stress hormone cortisol triggers inflammatory responses and weakens the antioxidation system, negatively impacting eye health. What Donguibogam referred to as the depletion of liver blood and kidney essence can be viewed in modern terms as premature aging of the eyes accelerated by microcirculatory disorder, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and autonomic nervous system imbalance. Ultimately, the eyes of modern people suffer from the double hardships of excessive use and stress, aging faster than their actual age.
