How To Follow The 20-20-20 Rule To Protect Your Eyes From Too Much Screen Time
When Was Your Last Eye Exam?
To keep up with our health, we consider it in our best interest to have routine checkups with our family physicians. However, we may often overlook the fact that we need to keep our eyes in check as well. Eyes are a highly sensitive part of the human body, as approximately 70 % of all the sensory receptors in our bodies are in the eyes. Our eyes need attention because poor vision can result in lack of performance and researchers prove that myopia, which is nearsightedness, has increased rapidly over the past few decades, resulting in thousands of more individuals to wear corrective glasses. To put the figures into perspective, a new study published in the journal Ophthalmology expects that by the year 2050, nearly 50% of the population will suffer from poor vision. This makes it essential to keep some key points into mind:
• Visit your Eye Doctor - It is imperative that you visit an optometrist for a basic checkup or even an ophthalmologist for a thorough review to be conducted. It is essential to make an appointment and keep your eyes in check. Most experts recommend that an annual visit should be made regardless of whether or not you wear corrective glasses. The American Academy of Ophthalmology also points out that at the age of 40, one should have a baseline checkup because that is an age where early signs of diseases or changes in vision become noticeable.
• Control your screen time - With growing technological advancements, our eyes are being increasingly exposed to screens. The term Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) has been coined to explain the impact screens can have on eyes. CVS describes how constant exposure to screens can lead to a range of problems which includes headaches or even blurry vision. Other than CVS it has been proven that screens emit blue light exposure, which over extended periods of time can be detrimental to one’s vision.
• Follow the 20-20-20 Rule - It is understandable that at times it can be difficult to control screen time in a technological world. Screens have taken over schools and workplaces, and it is undeniable that these devices are a strong resource. However, to keep up with your health as well as keeping up with the times, you can follow the 20-20-20 rule. It is a rule which states that for every 20 minutes that you are looking at a screen, take a 20 second break to focus your vision at an object that is 20 feet away.
Overall, it can be understood that our eyes need to be tended to just as any other bodily system in order to insure a healthy lifestyle.
