Special Eyecare Precautions for Kids during COVID-19 with Dr. Rachael Wruble, OD

I would love to tell you my kids have no screen time, but this is just not true. The kids are doing video calls with friends and webinars with teachers. That is our life right now. What I recommend for screen time at home would be the following.

• Try putting a Matte screen filter on the screen to reduce glare.
• Adjust your lighting. Try increasing the contrast on the screen to reduce eye strain.
• Take a step back from your screen, keeping it an arm’s length away.
• Follow the 20/20/20 Rule – Take a break every 20 minutes by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Looking further away will give your eyes a moment to relax. 
• Blink! Blinking helps produce tears to lubricate your eyes. Artificial tears or eye drops can also help.
• Limit Bedtime Screens. – There are studies that show that devices usage just prior to bed may affect the body’s sleep cycle. Try putting devices down 2 hours prior to bedtime.

We recommend kids wear helmets when riding bikes along with sports goggles or polycarbonate impact-resistant sunglasses when playing sports. Over the past several weeks I have seen numerous eye lacerations from weed-whacking, corneal abrasions from sticks in the eye, and even a retinal detachment from a baseball. Those are just off the top of my head. All of these could have been prevented with the use of protective eyewear.

It is important to note that playing outside allows the eyes to have a break from focusing and straining on screens. The eye muscles become relaxed and the kids burn energy! It is a good idea to remember UV-blocking sunglasses too! As parents we are often concerned about slathering our kids up with the best sunblock but forget their eyes. UV rays from the sun can cause a sunburn to the eyes and it puts children at risk for long term eye health issues such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

The President should have ordered everyone stay home and wear safety glasses. LOL! I have seen more medical emergencies in the past 6 weeks than I have all year. Fortunately, we have only had two that needed emergency surgery, but I have removed tile, metal, bugs, a price tag, and chunks of caulk. Some patients were wearing regular glasses or readers, but this is not sufficient to protect the eyes when working around flying debris or motorized tools. Polycarbonate safety glasses that fit securely with limited gaps are particularly important to wear.

Our office has staff working from home, triaging phone calls during normal business hours and we are on call 24/7 for patients that have any emergency – such as flashes, floaters, red eye, pain, blur, and irritation. Fortunately, I live just a few blocks from the office so I can get there quickly if telemedicine is not sufficient.