KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Virtual learning helps children get back to school, but it also means they'll be spending more time on digital devices.
While parents may be mindful about screen time, one doctor said they should also be aware about the effects of blue lights.
"With our new digital lifestyle and things tailored to computers, I've been seeing a lot of eye strain, a lot of dry eye and a lot of changes in vision," said Dr. Michael Hollins, an optometrist with the Sabates Eye Center.
While it may not be a common term, people encounter blue lights every day from the sun, but it also comes from laptops, tablets and smart phones.
Hollins said when the light is between 380 and 450 wavelengths, it's high intensity blue light, but wavelengths between 450 and 500 affect sleep cycles more significantly and could be the reason why children struggle to go to bed at night.
"If we spend more than two or three hours on a cell phone per day and then spend 4-5 hours on a laptop or a computer, that's a lot of eye strain up close," Hollins said. "You're getting a lot of blue light and you're getting a glare from those devices, and requiring your eyes to turn in."
Hollins said to take note if your eyes feel different at the end of the day compared to the beginning of the day. Patients might also notice strain or a slight headache in the front or back of your head. For young children, pay attention to their actions and words during virtual learning. If they mention their eyes are tired after just a few hours, Hollins said it's a good time to head to the doctor.
To alleviate any discomfort, he also provides the following tips:
Take breaks
"Every 20 to 30 minutes, you want to take a 20 second break and give your eyes a moment to relax. The easiest way to do that is to take a break from your computer and look far away. Don't take a break from your computer and pull out your cellphone. That is not the definition of a break," Hollins said.
Use preservative-free artificial tears
"Whenever you're looking at a computer, our blink rate decreases. Whenever we blink less, our eyes become more dry. When our eyes become dry, they become uncomfortable and that increases our eye strain," Hollins said. "You can grab some artificial tears, put them in and it's the perfect excuse when you're at work or school and give those eyes a breather."
Adjust the blue light filters on your devices
"You can adjust how much of the blue light is allowed through. Most phones have an option to set it from sunrise to sunset that way you're getting the same amount of blue light from the sun from your phone. Once the sun goes down, your phone stops emitting the blue light as well," Hollins said.
Consider anti-glare coating or blue light blocking lenses
"You'll want to ask your eye doctor specifically which wave lengths of light does this block. Does it block high intensity visible blue light or does it block the peak blue light that affects our melatonin cycle," Hollins said. "With as much as we look at cellphones and computers and TVs, we want to make sure that we have the coatings on our lenses to make our eyes as comfortable as possible."
As children continue with virtual learning, the American Academy of Pediatrics also suggests they avoid electronic devices at least one hour before bed.
