Your kids are finally adjusting to their school routine and are probably partaking in more activities that require the use of computers and tablets like iPads than ever before. With all that screen time at school and at home for homework, you need to be closely monitoring your children to ensure you are protecting their eyes from computer vision syndrome.
If you are worried about how much time your kids spend in front of a screen and how it could be affecting their eyes, look out for the symptoms of computer vision syndrome named by WebMD:
- Blurred or double vision
- Eye irritation
- Dry or red eyes
- Headaches
- Neck or back pain
If you child exhibits any of the above, you should seek treatment as soon as possible to reduce the risk of lasting damage. Your child may need lenses specifically prescribed to assist with computer viewing, as the American Optometric Association (AOA) explains. Alternatively, eye exercises in vision therapy can train the eye and brain to work together and treat problems related to eye focusing and coordination that may not be correctable with eyeglasses or contacts.
To further protect you kids’ eyes and visual health, the AOAÂ has these guidelines for using computers and tablet devices:
- Preschool and kindergarten children should spend no more than two hours a day in front of a computer screen, with increased font size to make it easier on their eyes.
- Children in elementary school should use electronic devices only for brief tasks and should remain half an arm’s length away from devices, slightly below eye level. They should take frequent breaks and move around or change their position while working on a computer.
- Kids in middle school and high school should position their computers 20 to 28 inches away from their eyes and keep the top of the screen at eye level. The room where they work should feature low-wattage light bulbs or drapes to prevent glare on the screen.
Protecting your kids’ eyes from computer vision syndrome is just one small part of maintaining good eye health and vision. It is also important to protect your kids’ eyes from the sun with shades designed especially for kids’ eyes all year long. Visit our website today to select a new pair of sunglasses for your child – through the end of the month you can save 20% purchases made online by using the code RKSBACK2SCHOOL at checkout!