Is Sitting Too Close to the TV Really Bad for Your Eyes? Part II

Last week we talked about the increasing prevalence of myopia and how too much near focusing, especially too much screen time, can impact myopia.  This week we are going to talk about other eye problems associated with increased screen time, as well as some things that you can do to help protect yours and your child's eye health.
 

What other problems can be associated with increased screen time?

• Eye strain or fatigue - When you constantly focus on a particular distance, especially a near distance, that constant focusing will cause the muscles around your eyes to become tired.  Some children have a mild myopia that has never been diagnosed, which causes them to need to focus even harder.  This muscle fatigue can cause discomfort and muscle pain around the eyes.
• Dry eyes - Due to the decrease in blink rate associated with computer use.  Kids may not tell you their eyes are dry, but you might notice them blinking excessively after they have been on the computer or rubbing their eyes a lot.  This is a good sign of dry eyes.
• Headaches - which may be related to the combination of eye strain and dry eyes, or even from rubbing their eyes excessively.   

What can be done to help protect eye health?

• The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) call for no screen time at all for children younger than 2 years and no more than 1 hour a day for children 2-5 years old.
• The AAP recommends that parents should negotiate limits and boundaries for screen time with older children.
• The 20-20-20 rule - Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.  This should be easy to remember because you want to have 20/20 vision.
• Establish a daily schedule for children, which minimizes recreational screen time when kids are engaged for 3 hours or more with digital learning.
• Free time away from screens should include playing outside as much as possible, as well as non-digital indoor activities.
• Make sure there are good lighting conditions in the home, especially near the computer or tablet, to cut down on eye strain.  The computer or tablet should never be used in a dark room.
• The lighting of the computer screen is also important.  It should feel comfortable to look at, not too bright, and not too dim.
• Make sure there are ways to use distance vision during breaks from virtual learning, such as looking out of a window. 
• Use in-device applications that allow parents to set limits restricting screen time.
• If your child is watching TV, make sure they are sitting across the room from it so the focusing distance is farther away.  Have your child adjust the position of the screen used for educational purposes throughout the day, so that it is at different distances from them through the day.  
• Collaborate with your child's teachers about limiting screen time.  Maybe there could be breaks where children are working on work sheets, doing arts-and-crafts activities, or doing physical exercise.  Even though doing work sheets is close work, there is more opportunity for the eyes to focus at different depths when the paper is moved or pages are turned, and the distance may be different from the screen.

Here are some ideas for alternatives to recreational screen time:

• Outdoor play whenever possible, running, jumping, playing basketball, or playing catch.  All of these activities involve some visual component that involves varying distance vision.  They also get the natural light exposure and the physical activity itself is very beneficial.
• Do some bird watching, either outside, or from a window inside.  This also requires more distance vision and focusing at variable distances.  Get a book on local birds, so that you and your child can look up and learn about the birds that you see.
• Play a game of eye spy and try to "spy" things that are farther away and at different distances from you.  If you can play this outside, that is even better.
• Play a board game.  This can provide a variety of vision activities, moving pieces around the board, reading from cards, etc., as well as helping kids to learn cooperative play and learn to follow the rules of a game.
• Have your child read from a real book when possible instead of a screen.  Again, although it is near work, most people move a book around a bit while they are reading, or they adjust their own position, and the turning of pages provides a tiny break from the reading with every page.

I'm sure you can come up with more ideas as well.

If you have any questions about eye safety, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor

Is Sitting Too Close to the TV Really Bad for Your Eyes?

I remember when my mother used to tell me not to sit too close to the TV because it was bad for my eyes.  I used to think that was something she made up, just to get me away from the TV.  It turns out that she was right.  It is bad for your eyes to focus on something up close for too long at one time.  It is especially bad for young children whose eyes are still growing and developing.  Let's talk today about why it is more important now than ever that we pay attention to this.

Today I am not talking about genetic factors, which certainly can influence development of near or far-sightedness.  We're just going to talk about environmental influences on eye health.  And primarily talking about near-sightedness.

What is myopia?

Myopia is the medical term for near-sightedness.  It means that you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry.  It occurs when the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend incorrectly, focusing images in front of your retina instead of on your retina.

Did you know that myopia is rapidly increasing in the world?

There has been a rapid rise in myopia in the world over the past two decades.  This has been most noticeable in East Asia, where more than 90% of teenagers and young adults are near-sighted today.  In the US, prevalence of myopia doubled from 20% to 40% in the past three decades.  

Can sitting too close to the TV cause near-sightedness?

There have been several studies that indicate that when children spend too much time focusing on something near to them, such as a TV or other screen, they are more likely to develop myopia.   Focusing for long periods of time up close, without much distance focusing, impacts the developing eye in younger children.  Your eyes develop a preference you might say, to seeing near things.  

Those who already have myopia, whatever the cause, can develop worsening myopia from too much near focusing, requiring stronger prescription glasses.

Is there something that protects against developing myopia?

Sun or natural light exposure - Time spent outdoors in natural sunlight has shown to be protective against the onset and progression of myopia.  Studies have shown an over 50% decrease in the risk of myopia progression in children who spend at least 11 hours outdoors per week.   

In Taiwan in 2010, where the prevalence of myopia was high, Taiwanese schools implemented a program that encourages teachers to take children outdoors for 120 minutes every day.  Within 5 years, the prevalence of myopia decreased continuously, reversing the trend of the previous decade.

Why is this an important topic right now?

Children have been increasing their screen time for several years now.  In the US, the use of laptops, tablets, and smart phones is now widespread, even in preschool age children.  According to a Common Sense Media report released in October 2019, the use of screens by children and teenagers in the US was on average 5 hours per day in the 8-12 year old age group, and 7.5 hours per day in the 13-18 year old age group.  This was prior to COVID-19 entering the picture!

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of electronic screens has markedly increased.  With virtual learning, some schools have children using these devices for 6 hours a day, with only a few 5-minute breaks.  Most of the virtual school programs do not include any mandatory outdoor activity or physical education component.

This is just the educational use of screens!  When you add the use of screens for video games, watching TikTok videos, and all the other recreational uses, this can drastically increase the near focusing time for our kids.  Many younger children are now becoming more familiar with digital devices, which can further increase their recreational screen time.

This is a very important topic right now.  We need to be aware to help protect our own eye health, but more importantly, we need to protect the eye health of our children.

Next week we will talk about some other eye problems associated with increased screen time, along with things that you can do to help combat these problems.

If you have any questions about eye safety, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor

Halloween Safety for 2020

Halloween is just around the corner, and parents are wondering what to do.  Just like most things in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Halloween will be very different this year around the country.  Although kids often have only mild symptoms from COVID-19, they can sometimes have severe symptoms, and we also know that they can spread it to others, including adults who might be at high risk of complications.  We want to keep our kids and our family safe.  The CDC is discouraging traditional trick-or-treat activities, and your kids may not be happy to hear that trick-or-treat is not happening this year.  

 

I remember in 2011, we had a strong Nor'easter hit our town on October 29th.  There were trees and powerlines down all around us and our town officially cancelled trick-or-treat.  My kids were so bummed!  We had to get creative and come up with alternate plans.  You can do the same this year!  There are some creative ways that you and your kids can still have fun this Halloween.  Let's talk about some ideas to consider, and also about some things that you should avoid.

 

Should you Trick-or-Treat?

 

Traditional trick-or-treat, where treats are handed to children who go door-to-door is a high risk activity, not just for the kids, but for the neighborhood as a whole.  It is best to avoid trick-or-treat this year and choose an alternate Halloween activity.

 

If you or your child are sick, or if you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in any Halloween activities where you will be exposed to others.  This includes handing out candy if people are trick-or-treating in your neighborhood.

 

What about costume masks?  

• A costume mask is not going to provide any protection from COVID-19.  It is not a substitute for a cloth face covering.  You and your child need to wear a face covering that is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose, and does not leave gaps around the face.  
• Do not wear and especially don't have your children wear a costume mask over a cloth or medical mask.  This can make it harder to breathe, and hard to get enough oxygen.
• Consider a Halloween themed cloth mask.  There are lots available or you can make your own.
• Save the traditional costume mask for home when only your household members are around.

What are some alternative ideas for Halloween that have a lower risk of spreading COVID-19?

• Carve or decorate pumpkins with members of your own household.  
• If you move the carving outside, you can include friends or neighbors, as long as you wear an appropriate mask and keep a safe distance from each other.
• Have a virtual costume contest.
• Have a Halloween movie night with your family.  
• If you have an outdoor projector, you can host a movie outdoors with friends or neighbors, again making sure you all wear an appropriate mask and keep a safe distance.  Please be aware that if you expect screaming to occur, you need more distance between you to be safe.
• Have a Halloween candy hunt for your kids in your home or yard (think Easter eggs).
• Do a scavenger hunt where you give your children a list of Halloween themed things to look for while you walk with them around the neighborhood looking at decorations from a distance.  Maybe they can win one piece of candy from you for each thing they find.
• Have a neighborhood costume parade, where each family is separated from each other by a safe distance.

With some creativity, we can all have a fun and safe Halloween this year. 

 

You can use this link to see more information from the CDC about Halloween activities.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween

 

If you have any questions about Halloween safety, please log into your account and send us your question. We are here to help.

Dr. Anita Bennett MD - Health Tip Content Editor