NI Chair and owner of two Specsavers stores in Derry~Londonderry Sean McCauley says: ‘As we’re mostly confined to our homes and with 98% of households in the UK owning a television, it’s no stretch to assume many of us will spend more time in front of a screen.
‘But eyes are not designed to be fixated on a single object for a long period of time so can often become strained when we focus on screens, especially if they are a smaller laptop, tablet or smart device screens.
‘While eye strain is uncomfortable, it is not usually serious, and tends to alleviate once you rest your eyes. Symptoms to look out for include eye discomfort, headaches, sore, tired, burning or itchy eyes, difficulty focusing, watery eyes, dry eyes, blurred or double vision, and increased sensitivity to light.’
To combat these common eye concerns Sean McCauley advises people to:
Rest your eyes – follow the 20:20:20 rule. Look up from your screen every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Looking into the distance helps relax the focusing muscles of your eyes, which in turn reduces eye fatigue.
This rule is also important for parents who have children being schooled online at home. Monitor how much screen time they have each day and make sure that they have regular breaks.
Make the most of your allowed outdoor time. Theories1 show that taking a screen break and going for a short walk allows eyes to rest and for our minds to regroup.
Reduce glare – Reflections on your computer screen can cause glare and lead to eye strain. Try reducing this by attaching an anti-glare screen to your monitor, or covering windows to avoid external light shining onto the screen.
Go green – Incorporating the colour green into our home working environment is good for our eyes, brain and wellbeing. Specsavers has created a special ‘greensaver’ screensaver for you to download and gaze at when you need soothing https://www.specsavers.co.uk/care.
Symptoms to watch out for
While most eye conditions are minor, if you experience any of the following it’s important to get in touch with your local optometrist.
Redness, pain or discomfort
Blurred vision
Flashes of light
An increase in the number of visible floaters
Sudden loss of vision
Although Specsavers is currently closed for routine eye and hearing tests, Northern Ireland stores are open for urgent and essential care.
The right foods
As panic buying begins to ease, look for foods online and in stores that are rich in eye-health boosting nutrients.
Leeks, for example, are rich in Lutein, which is essential to functioning eyes.
Oily fish such as salmon, is packed full of Omega3, which is great for overall health including the eyes.
Kiwi gives a burst of A, B and C vitamins, which help maintain healthy cells and tissues in the eyes.
Eggs have antioxidant properties which can reduce your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.
Meanwhile, peppers contain zeaxanthin, which helps to absorb potentially damaging blue light.
It’s also good general health advice to keep your water bottle topped up, particularly when you are stuck indoors, as good hydration can help avoid dry eye. And of course, picking up good habits and cutting out the bad ones, like smoking, will also protect your eyes.
Sean McCauley, NI Chair of Specsavers
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