Reducing Eye Strain - The 20-20-20 Rule
As an eye doctor, I get asked all the time how to improve eye strain and headaches from increased screen time (especially with the kids!):
Here are some top tips:
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule - Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break from your screen and look 20 feet away. This gives your eye muscles a chance to relax.
- Remember to blink - When you are concentrating on work/a movie/a book, your brain forgets to blink. Dry eyes are very uncomfortable and can add to the strain. You can use artificial tears if needed.
- Mind your posture - An unaligned neck or back can trigger headaches.
- Avoid too bright lights or sunlight - The reflection and glare from screens can worsen strain.
- Use a physical book 📖 or paper when able - Another strategy to avoid the above glare issue.
- Hold your digital media at least 18-24 inches away from your face - The closer you hold your phone, the harder your eyes have to focus.
As we go into the summer, encouraging more outdoor play will be especially helpful for children. Not only does this relieve and reduce overall eye strain, but there are also reports of slowing the progression of nearsightedness.
Failure. Is. Not. Final.
I don’t often talk about this - but when I took my ophthalmology oral boards after finishing residency, I failed. 😞 For someone who is used to excelling, this was devastating.
After a good cry (or 2, or 10 😢), I realized that how I prepared wasn’t working (I am a very visual person and learner 👀 and the oral boards are not about that at all - in fact the photos they use are notoriously vague. I had to hone my auditory 👂 and speaking skills 🗣), and so I had to ask for help. I had to find study partners to practice with and even took time off of work to attend a review course. Explaining to others why I had to retake the test was not easy and a blow to my ego every time - but I needed the help.
I ended up passing the second time (I had never been so nervous), but the experience was definitely a lesson in perseverance and humility - that failure is not final, and that asking for help is not a sign of weakness but an attempt at growth... 🌱
(and I told myself I would learn this dance 2 months ago... that’s on never giving up... 😂)
My secret to balancing it all…
I get asked all the time, "How do you manage to balance and do it all?"
Well, here's the secret 🤫: I don't.
I struggle and juggle. I lean on my supportive husband, nanny, and parents. I rely on the iPad and TV more often than I probably should. 😬
I get overwhelmed and frustrated. I yell and forget that the mute button is not on. 🤦🏻♀️
It's not always pretty - You may only see the good photos and videos (cuz it’s social media 📱), but there are a lot of retakes and bloopers and adjustments along the way. And sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and laugh. 😂
In the end, we are all just doing the best we can. Don’t forget to celebrate all the small wins, and give yourself grace for everything else.
Asymptomatic vs. Presymptomatic COVID carriers
OK, our masked heads are reeling. 😷 The WHO released (and then "walked back" on) a statement 2 days ago about how transmission of COVID from asymptomatic carriers is "very rare." So what does that mean? Do we all still need to wear masks or not? Can we lift shelter orders? 🤷🏻♀️
So the short answer is - Nothing has changed. The current recommendations still stand: Universal masking is still recommended 😷; we still need to wash our hands 🧼; and we still need to practice social distancing.
The key word here is "asymptomatic" - which refers to people who carry the virus 🦠 but exhibit no symptoms (and never do). My understanding is that the viral load in these patients are too low to produce symptoms and thus too low to be transmitted. These are the people the WHO was referring to in their original statement.
On the other hand, "PREsymptomatic" carriers are those who also carry the virus and are not exhibiting symptoms YET (but WILL, typically within 1 week of exposure 🤒). These patients may feel fine, but can spread the virus rampantly before realizing they are sick. 🦠
And so while asymptotmatic carriers may be less of a worry according to the WHO (great news!), presymptomatic carriers are still a concern, which is why universal masking and social distancing are still so so important for the protection of our communities and loved ones. ❤️
“What is Ophthalmology?”
A new follower messaged me the other day, "What is ophthalmology?" 👁 Sometimes I forget that not everyone knows exactly what I do, so here goes!
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor 👩🏻⚕️ who has completed 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship, 3 years of residency training, and an optional 1-2 years of fellowship (in glaucoma, cornea, oculoplastics, retina, uveitis, pediatrics, or neuro-ophthalmology. Mind-blowing that a little body part has so many subspecialties right? 👁).
On any given day, I can be in clinic seeing patients and helping them with their medications; or doing laser procedures; or in the operating room performing surgeries. I see lots of different eye issues, from dry eye and infections to cataracts and diabetes inside the eyes.
As a glaucoma specialist, the majority of my patients come to me for help managing their eye pressures (I liken glaucoma to systemic hypertension; it's often asymptomatic, but if unmanaged for a long time, can cause major issues like vision loss). I absolutely love what I do. Patients can literally "see" the difference oftentimes 👀 - and it's a privilege to be able to help.
Love what you do. ❤️ Do what you love.
Because those who can see the world are the ones who will change it...
(and yes, that is a Sofia the First remix. 😂👑 “So much to learn and see...!”)
Trauma to the eye
What do you do when you get injured in the eye? In general:
- if you get scratched in the eye (like if debris flies in or someone accidentally pokes you 👈🏼), fight the urge to rub and instead force yourself to blink - this will produce tears 💧 to flush out any debris and moisten your eyes for protection. Thankfully, scratches heal pretty quickly, but you are susceptible to a superimposed bacterial or fungal infection, so see your eye doctor ASAP.
- if you get a chemical in the eye (like pepper spray or tear gas, I go into more detail about these in my post 2 days ago) find a water source and flush it out for at least 10-15 minutes. It may not get all the chemical out (like with pepper spray, you'll need soap or a special wipe to break up the oils), but it'll dilute enough to minimize damage and irritation. Sometimes you can get inflammation in the eye from these chemicals that can affect your vision, so seek medical attention ASAP.
- lastly, if you sustain direct trauma to the eye (i.e. a punch or projectile), again fight the urge to rub or touch it - you can make the injury worse. If there is something stuck in the eye or orbit (around the eye), do NOT remove it. The best thing to do is to keep the eye closed and loosely cover it with a pair of glasses or even a taped on cup🥤(I'm serious, this is in all our textbooks as a treatment!) and seek medical attention ASAP. 🏥
Eye injuries can range from a simple scratch (corneal abrasion) or a broken blood vessel on the surface like a bruise (subconjunctival hemorrhage) to more serious things like bleeding inside (hyphema) or a cut on the eye (laceration or ruptured globe) that can threaten your vision.
As an eye doctor👩🏻⚕️ (and parent), the best treatment for any injury is always prevention, so please please please wear eye protection if you think you will be at risk!
Click HERE for my YouTube explanation