KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For nearly two years people have been working from home, and doctors say the increase in screen time is affecting overall eye health.
Monica Coltvet agrees. Before the pandemic, her regional sales manager job took her around the country. Now, 80% of her days are spent staring at a computer screen.
“If I’m not on Zoom calls, I am working on files and applications that are all computer-based," Coltvet said.
Coltvet also started to notice an increase in headaches and realized she became more dependent on her eyeglasses since she started working from home.
“I’m wearing them daily from morning until night. I need it for watching television and working on the computer," Coltvet explained.
Doctors with Sabates Eye Centers are sounding the alarm.
With more eyes on computer screens, they're noticing an influx of patients coming in their offices with dry eyes, eye strains, nearsightedness and even sleep issues.
"You’re getting what we call artificial blue light. Blue light affects certain melatonin, and what melatonin is in charge of is how fast we get to sleep and how long we stay asleep," said Dr. Michael Hollins, III.
Doctors are pushing for patients to follow their 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look 20 feet away. Also consider artificial tear drops, blue light filters and seeing an eye doctor.
“Whether or not you were causing damage to your eyes it’s debatable," Hollins said. "You’re definitely causing your eyes to work harder whenever you were looking up close and looking at blue light."
Hollins is also warning parents to monitor their children's screen time and have them turn off screens an hour before bed.
“I didn’t realize the decline I had experienced in the past two years was more rapid than what we normal," Coltvet said.
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