Desk Jockey Alert

By Dr. Michael England

Eye troubles are a common side effect of being a college student. Students spend so much time reading textbooks, writing papers, and staring at lighted screens – computers, social media, online gaming and tv/movie watching – it’s almost inevitable. Eye issues should not be ignored. Possibly the last thing on a college student’s mind is eye health. But the reality is that eye health should be near the top of a student’s to-do list to prevent vision issues that could negatively affect the academic and social experiences of their college years, and perhaps their lives beyond school. Although vision generally remains stable during the young adult years, problems may develop without any obvious signs or symptoms. Add in the potential for college-induced eye strain and infections, and it is clear college students should pay attention to their vision. Staring at a computer screen for hours at a time exposes everyone to blue light, which can cause digital eye strain, disruptions to the circadian rhythm, permanent eye damage and increase the risk of diseases like diabetes or heart disease. According to Santos-Longhurst (2018), screen fatigue has multiple symptoms including headaches, pain around the eyes, dry eye, blurry vision, tired or watery eyes, tiredness, difficulty keeping your eyes open or focused on the meeting, sensitivity to light, and even vertigo. The 20-20-20 rule is becoming the rule of thumb—Every 20 minutes, look at least 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. Take 20 blinks for good measure. It’s a way to give your eyes a break to relax the eyes and rewet the surfaces. Finally, stop using devices about an hour before bedtime. The high-energy blue light coming from screens tends to be stimulating to our retinas, telling us to stay awake.

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