How Can You Prevent Eye Strain During the COVID Lockdowns?

Many people have wrinkles under or at the sides of their eyes, even if the rest of the skin on their face is smooth and firm. These crow’s feet—as well as eye wrinkles, undereye circles, and bags—can appear starting from a person’s 20s, giving them a much older or more tired appearance. The main cause of these wrinkles is often squinting, whether because you’re exposed to bright sunlight without sunglasses, you need new eyeglasses for reading, or you’re straining to look at the screen of a smartphone or laptop for hours. The muscles around our eyes get used a lot, and when the thin, fragile skin in this area is constantly creased up, wrinkles can eventually begin to deepen. BOTOX®, explains the Sonoma County Jacobs Center for Cosmetic Surgery’s team, is a typical go-to choice for relaxing the muscles around the eyes to reduce these wrinkles. Chemical peels to exfoliate and improve skin cell turnover around the eyes are also a popular choice for patients not yet ready for surgery.

In more cases of more severe sagging and puffiness, eyelid surgery is another option to consider. During the lockdowns, millions of people are spending much longer hours staring at screens while working from home and attending classes for online learning, which has lead to more cases of difficulty with reading, headaches, migraines, itchiness, blurry vision, eye strain, and worsening vision. People are also less likely to go to an eye doctor to be tested now because of concerns about the virus.

Follow these tips to help reduce eye strain during the pandemic:

• The 20-20-20 Rule

Remember that when you’re staring at a screen constantly both while working and during leisure time, your muscles are contracting. They need a break, so make sure to relax them every so often. Every 20 minutes or so, try to make an effort to focus on something else and stare at something that’s at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Try to reduce the amount of time you spend on each single activity, stop working, and close your eyes completely every so often.

• Blink More Often

Blinking is essential, because it helps to get oxygen and nourishment to your eyes while removing impurities. We tend not to blink as much when we’re staring at screens. Make a habit of turning away from the screen and closing your eyes more while you’re working or browsing.

• Reposition Your Laptop or Device

Sometimes it’s the way your device is positioned that’s giving you eye strain. Make sure your device isn’t too close to your face, too far above or below your eye level, or reflecting sunlight from a window. Ideally, you should be reading or viewing with your laptop or other device below eye level, and the screen should be about an arm’s length away. Having an external monitor and keyboard can be helpful.

• Go Outside More

Although it can be difficult to find time to do so if you have a hectic lifestyle and the lockdowns make it even more challenging, it’s very important for both your physical and mental health to get outside more. Our eyes tend to be more relaxed when we’re outdoors. In fact, around 40 minutes of outdoor play every day is said to strengthen eyesight in children.

• Adjust the Lighting

One of the major causes of eye strain is lighting that is either overly dim or too bright. It’s best to shade windows if the light that’s coming in is too bright, but also make sure you’re getting adequate light from the device itself and artificial sources. You can get glare filters for your screens, as glare is a contributor to eye strain.

Discover more about signs of aging around the eyes from Sonoma County’s Jacobs Center for Cosmetic Surgery. If you have more questions about how botulinum toxin injectables are used for enhancing the face and neck, call them at 707-473-0220 to contact the practice directly or submit a contact form to request a consultation.