Ninette Haywood gets an eye test from Hastings optometrist Niall McCormack. Photo / Warren Buckland
Ninette Haywood gets an eye test from Hastings optometrist Niall McCormack. Photo / Warren Buckland
A Hawke's Bay optometrist fears for the eyes of kids living in an age of Covid-19, because they are looking at screens more than ever before.
It's been a long 18 months of working from home and distance learning for New Zealand and the world, and a new survey hasshone a light on just how much it has affected our eyes.
Digital eye strain is a leading cause of myopia, better known as near-sightedness or short-sightedness. Myopia is the most common ocular disorder worldwide and is the leading cause of visual impairment in children.
Research conducted by Specsavers in January 2020 showed the majority of Kiwi office workers were already experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain, with 86 per cent of people claiming to have experienced at least one symptom while at work.
Comparative data from October 2021 now shows that number has increased to 93 per cent.
Hastings Specsavers optometrist Niall McCormack fears for the eyes of kids living in an age of Covid-19. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hastings optometrist Niall McCormack said he had particular concerns about the amount of time the region's children have spent on screens during the pandemic.
As well as working at Specsavers, McCormack has done a lot of work in paediatric eye care and said he's seen a lot more short-sightedness in his patients.
"It's almost as if the children are practising their close vision at the expense of far away, they're not looking up as kids use to," he said.
"Children used to get a lot more outdoor play, and we know that outdoor play is significant in avoiding those short-sighted changes."
Most people think that they can fix short-sightedness with glasses.
But McCormack said evidence shows that short-sightedness also increases the risk of certain eye diseases like, cataracts, glaucoma and macular issues as we get older.
He wants the nation to know that there are ways to combat the issue even with Covid-19 restrictions.
"Follow the 20-20-20 rule," McCormack said.
"This means taking regular breaks to give your eyes a rest: every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object at least 20 metres away, for at least 20 seconds."
McCormack said adults are also spending just as much or more time in front of their screens.
Whether we are in level 4 or even Level 2, many in the region now shift straight to the TV, tablet, or phone after spending most of the day working on screen.
Three top tips to prevent and reduce digital eye strain when working from home:
1. Blink! Make a conscious effort to blink as often as possible to keep the surface of your eyes from drying out. Humans normally blink about 15 times a minute.
2. Drink lots of water. Your eyes also dry out when you're dehydrated, so it's essential to keep up your fluid intake when sitting in front of a screen all day.
3. Adjust your position while at the computer. When using a computer, you should be sitting about 60cm (about arm's length) from the screen. Also, position the screen so your eyes gaze slightly downward, not straight ahead or up.
