It is inevitable that during this time of social distancing, your child will be spending more time on digital devices, such as computers or phones. While our NW Calgary eye doctors remain open for eye emergency care during COVID-19, there are some steps parents can take to protect their children from digital eye strain.
In today’s day and age, it’s almost impossible to keep your child away from digital devices such as the computer or phone. However, it is important that you manage that exposure to protect the health of their eyes. In fact, optometrists often recommend that children over the age of three should spend no more than two hours a day staring at a screen, while those younger than that should have no screen exposure at all.
Why Parents Need to Be Conscious About Children’s Screen Use
Constant use of TVs, computers, and smartphones can have a huge negative impact on your child’s vision, including:
- Higher risk of developing progressive myopia
- Increased risk of macular degeneration or retinal damage down the road
- Development of computer vision syndrome (aka digital eye strain)
Our Calgary Eye Doctors Are Providing Eye Emergency Care During COVID-19 To Protect Your Family’s Vision
In compliance with the mandate handed down by the Alberta College of Optometrists, our Calgary eye clinics have closed. However, our eye doctors are still on hand to provide urgent emergency care by appointment only.
We are also providing telehealth services at this time, which includes delivery of contact lenses, eye drops, and other eyecare essentials.
Want to know how we can meet all your vision needs during COVID-19? Email us at marketmalloptometry@gmail.com or call us at 403-286-4884.
Signs of Digital Eye Strain in Children
Eye strain is bad for the eyes, but it is particularly tough on the eyes of a child because they are still developing. As a parent, it’s important to watch out for any changes in your child’s vision which may indicate strain. These include:
- Complaints of blurry vision
- Problems shifting their focus to things in the distance
- Eye fatigue
- Back and neck pain
- Eye dryness
- Headaches
3 CAUSES OF EYE STRAIN IN CHILDREN
How to Protect Your Child’s Eyes From Digital Screens With Blue Light-Blocking Lenses
We all know that consistently staring at a screen for long periods of time can have a negative impact on our eyes. When your child is young, it can be simple to control their screen time, but as they become older, you have less power over how much time they spend on screen-based devices.
So how can you protect your kid’s eyes in this digital world? By opting for blue light-blocking lenses.
Research shows that overexposure to blue light can contribute to serious vision conditions later in life, such as AMD and digital eye strain. Children are especially at risk when it comes to the negative effects of the blue light that is emitted from our screens.
The Solution
Computer glasses for kids are specially designed to block blue light from digital devices. Giving your child blue light-blocking glasses will largely eliminate the effects of digital eye strain and reduce the risk of AMD and other retinal degenerative diseases.
3 BENEFITS OF BLUE LIGHT-BLOCKING LENSES
Other Simple Tips to Protect Your Child’s Eyes From Digital Devices
Apart from talking to your Calgary eye doctor about blue light-blocking lenses, there are some steps you can take at home to protect your child’s eyes from their digital devices. These include:
- Encourage your child to blink more. We tend to blink less when we stare at a screen and this can cause our eyes to become dry and uncomfortable.
- Use the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of screen viewing time, make sure your child focuses their eyes on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Protect phones, tablets, and laptops using a screen protector that also filters blue light.
Have Questions About Your Child’s Vision? Does a Family Member Need Emergency Eye Care? Our Calgary Eye Doctors Can Help
At our Calgary eye clinic, we are committed to protecting your family’s vision during COVID-19. While our Calgary clinics are temporarily closed, our eye doctors are still providing emergency eye care services by appointment only.
Telehealth Services to Protect Your Vision
Not only are we offering virtual consultations, but our telehealth vision services also include deliveries of contact lenses, eye drops, and other eye care essentials.
Or you can contact us by calling 403-286-4884 or by filling in our online contact form.
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