03/06/2024
March is National Save Your Vision Month!
Our eyes are windows to the world, granting us the ability to perceive, appreciate, and navigate our surroundings. Yet, often, the importance of maintaining good eye health can be overlooked. National Save Your Vision Month serves as a gentle, yet crucial reminder to prioritize the health of our eyes and maintain a clear and bright outlook on life. Your annual eye exam can be compared to your annual physical, but the focus is on your eyes and is an important part of your eye health no matter your age The exam can help ensure your vision is good and your eyes are healthy, too. And if needed, steps can be taken to assist with any eye-related concerns that might come up or that are already present.
One eye issue that is seen more and more these days is eye strain. Folks tend to not only spend a lot of time on computers, but also on tablets and smart phones for work reasons and in their free time.
The American Optometric Association offers these tips to relieve digital eye strain:
1. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Take a 20-second break, every 20 minutes and view something 20 feet away.
2. Keep a distance. The AOA recommends sitting a comfortable distance from the computer monitor where you can easily read all text with your head and torso in an upright posture and your back supported by your chair. Generally, the preferred viewing distance is between 20 and 28 inches from the eye to the front surface of the screen.
3. View from a different angle. Ideally, the computer screen should be 15 to 20 degrees, or about 4 to 5 inches, below eye level as measured from the center of the screen.
4. Decrease glare. While there is no way to completely minimize glare from light sources, consider using a glare filter. These filters decrease the amount of light reflected from the screen.
5. Blink often. Minimize your chances of developing dry eyes when using a computer by making an effort to blink frequently.
At Family Care Pharmacy, we offer targeted nutritional support for eye health. OcuView by Ortho Molecular includes a unique blend of key nutrients, which have been shown to support healthy eye function and maintain the long-term health of the eyes.
Ask a member of your Family Care Pharmacy staff if Ocuview or other eye health support is right for you.