Caring For Your Vision With So Much Screen Time! Avoiding Computer Vision Syndrome
Caring For Your Vision With So Much Screen Time!
Avoid “Computer Vision Syndrome”
Most of us are engaged in “screen time” more than ever before. Many of you are using Zoom as our Tele-Therapy platform for Vision Therapy, and it has been very successful. Over half of our Vision Therapy patients are on-board with us, continuing their momentum in therapy until they can return to our Sorrento Valley and Lemon Grove offices!
In this time of excess screen-time, we recommend the following guidelines to help minimize the following problems that are associated with excess screen time – collectively know as “Computer Vision Syndrome.”
• Cognitive Fatigue
• Visual Fatigue, Eye Strain
• Dry Eye Symptoms
• Blurred Distance Vision
• Headache
• The Neck and Shoulder Pain
• Poor Quality Of Sleep Things to do to alleviate the symptoms above:
• Take scheduled breaks from screen time at least every 30 minutes, and walk away from the computer at this time for at least 2 minutes.
• During these 2 minutes, stand in a very relaxed way, and rotate your body without moving your feet, and look behind you one way, and then back to the other way.
• Check each eye individually during these 2-minute breaks to ensure you are not losing distance vision from either eye.
• Acquire optical quality lenses that deflect the harmful blue light that emanates from screens. Call Jasmine, our Board Certified Optician who can get the proper lenses for you. 619-464-7713
• Nutritional Supplementation: Research-proven solutions!
o To improve Visual Performance, Sleep Quality, and Decrease Adverse Physical Symptoms
▪ Lutein (10 mg), Zeaxanthin (2 mg) and Mesozeaxanthin (10 mg)
o Omega-3. Minimum EPA: 400 mg Minimum DHA: 960 mg.
• Stop screen time 2 hours before sleeping
• Get outside as much as possible! If you would like more advice on how to establish a strong visual foundation for the demands of on-line learning, just let us know. We can provide activities for you to do off-line that will help you maintain good vision while you are on-line!
Sincerely,
Carl G. Hillier, OD FCOVD
Melissa C. Hillier, OD FCOVD