How to take care of the ocular health of the children at the time of the screens
The XXI century is the time of new technologies, present in our daily life through numerous screens. Many are the facilities that have brought to everyone's life, but it also entails greater care on the part of its users. An example is to ensure the health of the eyes, which are affected by the exposure to health that these devices emit.
While limiting the exposure of the smallest to the screens it is the first step to avoid that your ocular health is affected, we must take into account other factors for the daily use of these technologies. Following some basic guidelines will ensure that the welfare of children does not suffer:
Decalogue of tips
Vision experts recommend following the following guidelines:
- Ambient. It should work in airy environments (a hot environment can cause eye fatigue) and whenever possible in front of an open space (window ...).
- Illumination. The lighting should not be too strong or too loose, we should feel comfortable and work without reflections on paper. It is advisable to work with an ambient light and a more powerful one aimed at the work object. We must avoid direct lighting over eyes and shadows, as they produce fatigue.
- Distance. The working material should be 35-40 cm. If we are writing it is advisable to take the pencil 1-3 cm from the tip.
- Inclination. The working material (book ...) should be tilted about 20 degrees, this way reflections are eliminated and it allows to work further when the material is on a flat table.
- Posture. The correct position of the whole body is very important: we must have the back and the head straight and touch with the feet to the ground, whenever possible. The head or body should not be twisted. This means that we should avoid reading stretched on the floor or in bed.
- Break. During each hour of work should rest a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes, it is advisable that at the end of each page raise your eyes and focus for a few seconds a distant object, this will relax the vision.
- Side view. Whenever we do a fixation work (ex: driving, watching TV, reading ...) we must be aware of the lateral vision, of the things that surround us. For this reason it is advisable to watch TV with the light on.
- Watching TV. As for television, the correct distance to see it is about 7 times the size of the screen and we should not see it tilted or stretched on the floor. The screen should not have reflections.
- When fatigue appears. If we have eye fatigue, it is preferable to rest than not to strain our eyes.
- Go to the ophthalmologist. We should not stare at objects that we do not see clearly or wink with our eyes to get a good view. If making a gesture or squinting the vision improves, we must go to our ophthalmologist.
Damián Montero
