Welcome back to part two of this two-part series. If you haven’t already, we invite you to read part one where we discussed being a good role model and setting screen time boundaries as methods to protecting your children’s eye health in a digital age. Continue along with us in today’s post as we offer a few more suggestions.
Be Proactive
An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.
Even in early ages, you can begin scheduling routine eye exams with your family optometrist. Annual vision exams that include more than the Snellen eye test performed at your kid’s annual health fair at school will help you gauge overall eye health and identify any concerns before they become big problems. Your eye doctor can offer specific recommendations and let you know if your interventions are working.
Adjust Brightness Levels
Most devices offer the ability to adjust screen brightness levels, and newer protective devices allow you to filter some blue light. Using blue light blocking films or apps can help reduce the amount of blue light that makes it to the eyes. Brightness levels should be set so that looking at the screen does not cause your child to squint due to the brightness, but bright enough that your child is not straining to see what is on it.
Practice the 20-20-20 Rule
You and your children should practice the 20-20-20 rule when looking at screens. Every 20 minutes, you should look away about 20 feet away from the screen — across the room — for at least 20 seconds. Looking away from the screen, even for 20 seconds helps to relax your eyes and supports visual recovery. Teaching your children the 20-20-20 rule will set them up for screen time success even when you are not around. Since staring at a screen reduces the number of times we blink, it is also a good idea to be consciously aware of blinking and encourage your children to blink to prevent dry eyes and heightened eye fatigue.
Support Eye Health With Eye Vitamins
Viteyes® Blue Light Defender™ Kids is a once-daily chewable vitamin that contains lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin to protect developing eyes from harmful blue light. Lutein and zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants that naturally filter blue light from reaching the macula and astaxanthin helps to support the eye muscles to reduce tired and strained eyes. Using eye supplements can help defend against harmful blue light as well as damage from natural sunlight and artificial indoor lighting.
Offer your kids’ eyes a fighting chance against degenerative eye diseases and visual challenges by implementing some of these helpful tips. It is never too early or too late to begin defending your kids’ (or your own) eye health. We cannot avoid all the blue light, but we can help our kids make better use of it and create healthy habits to carry them into adulthood. For more information about eye health and how you can help support your entire family’s vision, visit our online resources, and browse our online eye supplement shop today.
