Screen Time & Eye Care
June 18, 2020
Many of us are spending more time on our screens lately, as we experience more virtual meetings, binge our favourite Netflix series, scroll our social media feeds more frequently. While we know it can be difficult to disconnect, we’ve provided some best practices you might consider implementing to protect your eyes from irritation during these times of increased blue-light exposure.
- Try keeping your monitors at arm’s length distance away from your face. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually more difficult for the eyes to process information that is up close compared to being farther away. Keep your screens at a distance—we recommend 25” away, with the monitor tilted slightly down—to avoid straining the eyes.
- Adjust the lighting in the room. When the contrast between the screen and the surrounding area is too high, the eyes will have to work harder to read what’s on the screen, causing unnecessary strain and eye irritation.
- Give the eyes a break every 20 minutes. Try looking at something else in the distance every 20 minutes, and remember to blink regularly, to ensure the eyes aren’t over-exposed to the screen’s blue light.
- Try blue light blocking glasses, that reduce the harmful effects of blue-violet light. These typically range from $25-$35, and can be purchased online through Amazon.
- Keep the eyes moist. To do so, we recommend using A.Vogel Eye Drops, or NaturaSea Omega-3 Dry Eye for an all-natural eye lubricant, both available at Pharmasave Parksville.
- Avoid screen time 1-2 hours before bed, as this can disrupt our circadian rhythm and our natural sleep/wake cycle. Instead, try making the switch to reading a book before bed, to ensure a restful night’s sleep.
Check out this short video tutorial on proper application of A. Vogel Eye Drops.
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