Caring for your child’s vision during remote learning

This year, we are seeing many local school districts have opened with remote or hybrid learning models. Which means, if you have school-aged children, screen-based instruction will likely be a regular part of their life. More time spent in front of screens, whether for school or for fun and connection, can result in eye strain, fatigue, and headaches. EPIC Health has some simple ways for parents to protect their kids’ eyes during remote learning sessions.

Make sure devices are positioned properly.

• Put the device directly in front of your child and about 20 inches away
• Prop the laptop or monitor up so that the top of the screen is at or just below their eye level
• If possible, tilt the screen back (away from you) just slightly
• Try not to have reflections on the screen from windows or other light sources
• Turn the lights down a bit. Dimmer lights are better for viewing bright computer screens.

Follow the 20/20/20 rule.

Every 20 minutes or so your kids should take a break from looking at their computer screen and focus on an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This is commonly referred to as the 20/20/20 rule. It allows the eyes to return to a natural and rested position. They should also take a 10-minute break every hour. Set up a timer outside of their door or somewhere that forces them to get up to turn it off.

Know the signs of vision strain.

Headaches, excessive blinking, eye rubbing, complaints of itchy or dry eyes, and a child feeling tired or cranky are potential warning signs that they are having vision trouble.

Get your child a vision screening.

The best way to help reduce computer eye strain is to get your child’s vision checked. Also, make sure they have the right prescription eyeglasses if needed. Even a small change in prescription can cause headaches and eye fatigue.

EPIC Health can help protect the vision of your child.

A vision screening should be part of your child’s yearly wellness exam or physical. If your child hasn’t had one this year, now is the perfect time to make that appointment. EPIC Health has innovative vision screening tools that can make a difference in your child’s eye health, including the SPOT Vision Screening device.

The Spot Vision Screener is a handheld vision screening device that helps users quickly and easily detect vision issues on patients from 6 months of age through adult. Spot screens both eyes at once from a nonthreatening 3-foot distance. The touch-screen display allows for one-touch activation, simple management of patient data entry, and easy configuration for both vision screening tests and autorefraction applications.

Make your child a vision screening appointment at EPIC Health today!

EPIC Health providers specialize in internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, and all specialties, including orthopedics, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, cardiology, vascular, podiatry, neurology, and other specialties. We provide healthcare for all, from newborns to adult care and geriatrics. We manage acute and chronic conditions of all types.

EPIC Health is a community-led healthcare delivery system. Community-led means that we look out for the people of the community before anything else. The EPIC Health promise is to provide the highest quality of care with a commitment to excellence. Your health and happiness are the primary focus of EPIC healthcare providers

We are taking every precaution within our practices to reduce the risk of infection and the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. This includes offering virtual telehealth visits for certain visits, adding additional sanitation measures within our offices, requiring our staff to wear personal protective equipment, asking patients to maintain social distancing, and more. This means you may experience longer than usual wait times at your next EPIC Health appointment. We are working hard to get things back to normal for our patients while keeping you as safe as possible.

Visit our locations page for more information about our locations and our provider locator to get more information about our providers. We look forward to seeing you soon at one of our state-of-the-art facilities.