Do you often feel pressure in your eyes, especially when using a smart device or looking at a digital screen? This is an alarm that your beautiful eyes are being damaged and if you do not take good care of them then you may suffer from blurred vision, poor eyesight, vision loss, headaches etc. Age is a major cause of macular degeneration but it is not the only cause. Increased eye pressure is also an important factor nowadays. While you can’t stop using laptops and digital devices, you can do some eye exercises that reduce the ill effects of eye strain and one of the easiest ways to prevent eye strain is the 20-20-20 rule. This golden rule can prevent the response to prolonged exposure to blue light emitted from digital screens. Read on as Dr. Gaganjit Singh Gujral, Senior Consultant, Sharp Site Eye Hospital 20-20-20 explains the rules and its benefits.
Eyes strain effect
Excess digital screen time means less physical activity and less exposure to green (natural green color), which gives peace of mind. Lack of physical activity also leads to an increase in many lifestyle diseases including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and thyroid. All of these diseases are related to our eyes because they affect our retina.
- Spending too many hours staring at a screen also results in reduced vision and sometimes even temporary blindness that lasts from a few minutes to a few hours.
- Meanwhile, the effects of excessive digital screen time on your eyes can be easily avoided if you take steps to reduce your eye discomfort.
20-20-20 rules for eye strain
If you are someone who is forced to stare at the screen most of the day, then you must follow this 20-20-20 rule for eye strain. This is the easiest way to reduce eye damage due to blue light and strain.
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- It is very easy to follow the rules.
- After looking at a digital screen for 20 minutes, look at some objects 20 feet apart for 20 seconds.
- This is not a hard and fast rule but if you follow it diligently you will feel the difference for yourself.
- Following the 20-20-20 rules is a great way to remember to take frequent breaks.
- This helps reduce eye strain by staring at the digital screen for long periods of time.
- It is advisable that you simply try to focus on something far away from you. Consider looking out the window at an object that looks like a tree or a building across the street.
- If you work in a small space, try walking outside or in a large space where you can rest your eyes and relax a bit.
The main advantage of the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eye strain – the purpose of this rule is to reduce the digital eye strain caused by prolonged staring at computers, laptops, smartphones, televisions, tablets, etc.
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- To keep your eyes healthy, to keep your eyes moist, it is often advisable to blink and use eye drops in case of dryness.
- A person can also benefit by closing their eyes every 20 minutes for 20 seconds.
- In addition to these, to prevent dry eyes often help to promote the production of teardrops.
- Alternatively, a person can sit far away from their digital screen. An ideal rule is to stay at least 25 inches or about an arm’s length away.
- If possible, get a matte screen filter on your laptop screen that effectively reduces screen brightness.
- Anyone who spends the day sitting down should get up and walk periodically to prevent back and neck pain.
If eye pressure persists even after a person tries to use the rules and other methods of prevention, they should see a doctor who can diagnose the underlying condition, such as chronic dry eye. An eye specialist may need to evaluate their vision and check eye moisture levels. When making recommendations, the ophthalmologist will consider a person’s occupation and overall eye health. Continue your medication as prescribed and always feel free to contact us if you need any clarification.
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