Look away from your screen every 20 minutes, eye doctors say
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Blink. Chances are, you haven't done that in a while. Now, focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- If you do that every 20 minutes, you're following what eye doctors call the 20-20-20 rule.
Why it matters: Loads of Americans work and study in front of screens. Data suggests we're spending more than 18 years of our adult lives online — and that's not great news for our eyeballs.
How it works: When we stare at a screen, we forget to blink and our eyes dry out.
- "It affects us every decade of our life that we age more because the amount of tears we produce decreases," says Raj Maturi, spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and ophthalmologist at Midwest Eye Institute in Indianapolis.
20-20-20 briefly jolts people away from devices and redirects their focus on something else, relaxing eye muscles and encouraging hydrating blinks.
- Anecdotally, Maturi tells Axios his patients who follow this rule are also "generally happier."
Caveat: While some studies have focused on the rule, there isn't extensive data to back up its benefits.
- Still, doctors, the AAO and the American Optometric Association endorse it as a good rule of thumb.
Another tip for dry eyes: Use artificial tear drops about four times a day.
Blue light-blocking glasses, while popular, don't help with dry eyes, and doctors aren't impressed with them.
- Blue light, which also comes from the sun, mainly interferes with sleep.
- Those worried about its effects should turn on the blue light filter on their phones and use an app like f.lux for computers, Maturi recommends.
Worthy of your eyes: Computer glasses, designed to prevent eye strain.
Threat level: If you're seeing flashes or floaters, or you're in pain and have frequent headaches, contact your doctor.
- Those could be signs of a vision problem that goes beyond dry eye discomfort.
The bottom line: We all need a screen break now and then, or maybe at least every 20 minutes for 20 seconds, staring at something 20 feet away.
