Be Aware of Eye Health With the Return to In-Person School and Work

With in-person school just around the corner and a September target date for many to return to the office, a Northwestern Medicine eye expert is urging awareness of eye health.

Michelle E. Andreoli, MD, an ophthalmologist at Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group Naperville, says the pandemic has been difficult on our eyes and now is a good time to break some bad habits.

‘Taking frequent breaks and minimizing screen time help eyes to stay healthy.’

During the pandemic, many students were remote-learning and adults were working from home with minimal breaks from the workday to the recreational day. People were also spending more time on screens and devices to stay connected with few other forms of recreation.

Too many hours per day staring at a screen causes eye strain. When working on a computer, we do not blink as often, causing the surface of the eye to become dry. This will cause our eyes to become hazy, blurry, and burn. In turn, eyes feel tired and fatigued.

The best solution is to take frequent breaks at the computer. Doctors suggest the "Rule of 20s": every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break to look at something 20 feet away. In addition, try to minimize screen time to let eyes rest.

Another common cause of computer-related eye strain is that often glasses are not well suited to the task. Reintroducing contact lenses can be difficult, as our eyes have become drier from extensive computer work.

The best way to start to wearing contact lens is 2 hours per day the first day, 4 hours per day the second day, 6 hours the third day, 8 hours the fourth day, and continue this pattern until we can wear them for 12 hours.

Children's glasses may have been forgotten during remote learning, if children's glasses are greater than one year old, they should get an eye exam. After kindergarten, children should be undergoing eye exams every 2-3 years unless a teacher, parent or student notice a problem.

One lesson learned during the pandemic is always good for eye health. Keep the germs away by washing hands frequently and avoid touching the area around eyes.



Source: Medindia