Computer Vision Syndrome - A Guide to Family Eye Health

• Tired eyes (strain around the eyes)
• Burning eyes
• Fluctuating vision
• Frequent eye rubbing
• Difficulty falling asleep at night
• Headache or migraines
• Myopia (near-sightedness)

Limiting screen time within your household is a healthy habit to get into. Time limits will range based on age but they are something everyone can benefit from.

• Ages 0-2: No screen time, with the possible exception of live video-chatting with parental support.
• Ages 2-5: No more than one hour per day of age-appropriate, educational, and supervised viewing. 
• Ages 5+: Ideally, no more than two hours per day of recreational screen time (outside of work or school).

Anytime you or your family are in front of a screen, you should be following the 20/20/20 rule. This means every 20 minutes of screen time should be met with a 20-second break while looking 20 feet away. There is growing evidence that suggests the rise of myopia (near-sightedness) in children might be linked to increased screen time and less time outdoors. Making time for the eyes to look out and focus on objects far away could help curb this growing trend.

When we do focused work on a screen, we blink less frequently and our blinks tend to be less complete (think half blinks where the eyelids don’t completely shut). This can result in dry, irritated eyes that are not being fully flushed out. Consider using eye drops or adding a humidifier to the room to help with the dryness and irritation. Hydrated eyes are happy eyes.

Dark green and orange vegetables, like kale, spinach, and orange peppers, have essential vitamins like Vitamin A and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin that keep our eyes healthy. Be sure that these vegetables are being incorporated into family meals to help keep your household’s eyes healthy.

When possible, keep your device screen about an arm’s length away from your eyes and just below eye level. This can help to reduce eye strain while also helping to improve posture.

When you or your family are using a device, whether it be a phone, laptop, tablet, etc., it’s important to have proper lighting in the room. Proper lighting will reduce eye strain and keep your vision comfortable while in front of a screen.

Wearing blue light lenses can help prevent eye strain and improve sleep quality. We recommend wearing these if you are in front of a screen in the evening. If you don’t have a pair of blue light glasses, check your phone and laptop settings to turn on ‘night mode’ or ‘night shift’ to reduce the amount of blue light coming through the screen and warming it with a more orange hue.

If someone in your household is having a difficult time focusing on objects close up, we recommend they consider using reading glasses. Not only do reading glasses help you see better, but they also prevent eye strain and headaches. Talk to your eye doctor about the right type of reading glasses for you. 

Visiting your optometrist at least once a year to get routine eye exams should be part of your family’s eye health strategy. Most insurance companies in Canada cover comprehensive eye exams and save you from having to cover the entire cost yourself. During an eye exam, your optometrist will examine all parts of the eyes including your eyelids, eyelashes, sclera, conjunctiva, cornea, optic nerve, retina, blood vessels, and lenses.