From remote work to online classrooms, our lives increasingly play out on the pixels of phones, webcams and monitors. But more hours spent gazing into screens can bring blurred vision and achy, tired eyes.
One solution: Limit use of digital devices. But if you must remain tethered to technology, you can take steps to ease eyestrain. Here’s how to save your optic organs — and your kids’ —from harm.
Take breaks. Eye experts recommend the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, shift your gaze to a spot 20 feet away. Keep it there 20 seconds.
Open and shut. Blinking coats your eyes with moisture. Computer users tend to bat their eyes less than half as often — five to seven times per minute, compared with 15 otherwise. Stick a note on your desk reminding yourself to flutter your lids.
Position properly. Sit 25 inches — about an arm’s length — from the screen. Adjust so that you’re gazing slightly down, not up or straight ahead.
Drop in. Eye drops called artificial tears offer extra lubrication. You can buy them at the drugstore. If your eyes are so dry you have other symptoms — think stinging, burning or light sensitivity — see an eye doctor. You might need a prescription for a drug that increases tear production.
Rest up. As many as one in five children develop digital eyestrain. Poor sleep can worsen symptoms. Remove devices from bedrooms and ban them an hour before bedtime. Studies suggest their blue light can keep children (and adults) awake.
Request specs. Try computer eyeglasses, available by prescription. They improve focus at a distance of 20 to 26 inches, ideal for computer screens. Note: These glasses are different from blue light blockers, which may help you sleep better when worn an hour or two before bedtime.
Buy a printed book. Do at least some of your reading on paper. Young and grown-up eyes alike can benefit from flipping pages instead of always using a tablet or e-reader.
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