{"id":20517,"date":"2022-01-24T12:36:50","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T12:36:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=20517"},"modified":"2022-01-24T12:36:50","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T12:36:50","slug":"has-covid-19-caused-eye-strain-in-children","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/covid-19\/has-covid-19-caused-eye-strain-in-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Has COVID-19 Caused Eye Strain in Children?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Yes, extensive online learning has caused an increase in cases of digital eye strain among children.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Since the start of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/covid-19\/\">COVID-19 pandemic,<\/a> researchers have been acquiring information regarding the virus\u2019 effect on the eyes\u2014 and more specifically, the effect online schooling has had on children\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n<p><b>According to reports, due to extended screen time not only have children become more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-pediatric-eye-conditions\/what-is-myopia\/\">near-sighted (myopic)<\/a>, but they are also complaining of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/vision-therapy-for-children\/checklist-for-parents-2\/could-your-child-have-digital-eye-strain\/\">eye strain.\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Prolonged usage of any digital device can lead to a condition called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/guide-to-blurry-vision-and-headaches\/digital-eye-strain\/\">digital eye strain (DES)<\/a>, also referred to as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/guide-to-vision-therapy-for-adults\/what-is-computer-vision-syndrome\/\"> computer vision syndrome (CVS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Recent studies show that digital eye strain impacts over 50 percent of adults and children.<\/p>\n<h2><b>What are the symptoms of digital eye strain?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>The most common symptoms of digital eye strain include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Sore or red eyes<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Blurred vision<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Headaches<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Neck and shoulder pain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>SEE RELATED: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/covid-19\/covid-19-and-computer-vision-syndrome\/\">COVID-19 and Computer Vision Syndrome<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>If your child complains of any of these symptoms above,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\"> schedule a functional vision evaluation with an eye doctor near you.\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>How do screens cause eye strain?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Researchers at Wills Eye Hospital conducted a study to determine if a correlation exists between prolonged screen time and children\u2019s vision. Participants of the study included 110 students ages 10 to 17 who had healthy vision prior to beginning their online courses.<\/p>\n<p><b>Throughout the duration of the study, over 50 percent of the participants reported symptoms of eye strain.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The researchers concluded that prolonged screen time directly correlates to an increased risk of digital eye strain.<\/p>\n<h2><b>How can an eye doctor help?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>If your child is complaining of any symptoms related to digital eye strain, or another vision problem, it is important to consult with an eye doctor as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Not only will this facilitate prompt treatment of their visual problem, it will also make online learning \u2014 and learning in general\u2014 an easier experience, as your child will be given the essential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/guide-vision-and-learning-difficulties\/the-17-key-visual-skills\/\">visual skills<\/a> they need to succeed.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Signs of a vision problem<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Headaches<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Excessive squinting<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Frequent eye rubbing<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Frequent head tilting<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Covering one eye while reading or using a digital device<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Sitting in close proximity to the TV or computer screen<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Difficulty reading<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), every child should undergo an <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/\"><b>annual eye exam<\/b><\/a><b> from as young as six months of age, to ensure their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-visual-development\/\">eyes and vision are developing properly<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>Routine eye exams facilitate early identification and treatment of vision problems that can hinder a child\u2019s early development, and their academic and athletic success in the future.<\/p>\n<h2><b>How can vision therapy help?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/guide-to-vision-therapy\/\">Vision therapy<\/a> is a personalized program that strengthens the communication between the eyes and brain and to improve the visual skills necessary for clear and comfortable vision.<\/p>\n<p>Vision therapy can be an effective treatment to relieve symptoms of digital eye strain in children and make <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/help-my-child-dislikes-online-learning\/\">online learning<\/a> a more comfortable experience.<\/p>\n<p><b>LEARN MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/eye-conditions\/\">Guide to Eye Conditions<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>To learn more about the benefits of vision therapy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\">schedule a functional visual evaluation for your child.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>Since the beginning of the pandemic, more children are complaining of eye strain due to the effects of online learning and extended screen time.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Vision therapy can be an effective treatment to relieve symptoms of digital eye strain in children and make online learning a more comfortable experience.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yes, extensive online learning has caused an increase in cases of digital eye strain among children.\u00a0 Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1206,"featured_media":20518,"parent":20476,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20517","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Has COVID-19 Caused Eye Strain in Children? - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/covid-19\/has-covid-19-caused-eye-strain-in-children\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Has COVID-19 Caused Eye Strain in Children? - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Yes, extensive online learning has caused an increase in cases of digital eye strain among children.\u00a0 Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/covid-19\/has-covid-19-caused-eye-strain-in-children\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/girl_using_computer.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"335\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/covid-19\/has-covid-19-caused-eye-strain-in-children\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/covid-19\/has-covid-19-caused-eye-strain-in-children\/\",\"name\":\"Has COVID-19 Caused Eye Strain in Children? 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