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Help keep your eyesight at its best with these healthy habits. Photo by Pixabay (CC0)

No other industry in the world has grown as much as the gaming industry thanks to COVID-19 forcing all of us to stay inside our homes for the time being. And this continued even while countries started to reopen and jumpstart their economy, with video games seeing a 35% sales jump, its biggest in years.

This means that more people, regardless of their age, are now playing more than ever, be it through computer gaming or gaming consoles. And while gaming has helped save the sanity of those bored out of their minds and craving for some socialization, there are also some downsides that unfortunately, can lead to negative effects in our health.

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The video game industry's growth in the pandemic has resulted in more screen time for us. Photo by Pixabay (CC0)

One such downside is the significant increase in screen time, or the number of hours per day that we spend looking at electronic screens. For gamers, this means looking at their TVs and computer monitors all day.

Per experts, this can lead to eyesight issues.

This has been an issue long before the pandemic pushed more people to stay inside and spend more time playing video games. As the digital age swept in, it’s been inevitable for us to increase our screen time. And for those whose jobs include looking at a computer screen all day, their daily lives may feel like a never-ending series of screens.

This can spell trouble, per experts. For example, using a screen to read or scroll through social media makes us blink less, causing our eyes to dry out. This can lead to blurry vision, irritation, burning, tired eyes, eye strain, or even tearing up. This can also then lead to bigger problems like headaches or stress.

All of these symptoms are referred to as “computer vision syndrome,” and although it’s unlikely that excessive screen use can permanently damage our eyes, eye strain and dry eye can worsen over time.

Thankfully, there are some habits you can adapt to take care of your eyesight, and here are some of the best practices you should do (considering you’re reading this from a screen right now):

1.20-20-20 rule.

For many of us that use computers in their jobs, it’s inevitable to stare at a screen for hours at a time. Remember to take a break and follow the “20-20-20” rule. This means that every 20 minutes, shift your eyes and look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Doing so will help give your eyes regular breaks where it can rest.

2. Ensure good lighting.

This may not seem like much, but visual disturbances such as glare can cause difficulty in reading text, which can result in eye strain. To avoid this, simply angle your monitor away from windows and light sources so that there’s no light reflecting on its surface.

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Looking at monitors for hours at a time can affect our eyesight. Photo by Pixabay (CC0)

3. Adjust your screen brightness.

If you can’t adjust the lighting in the room, then adjust your monitor’s brightness. As a general rule, simply make it as bright as the room you are in.

4. Take vitamins.

Taking care of your eyes doesn’t start and end outside, you need to take care of it from inside your body as well, which is why you need vitamins for it. As such, consider taking Eyetamins, which is the first natural eye care supplement that’s specifically made to meet today’s demands.

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Eyetamins is made to address the modern demands of today's digital age on our eyes. eyetamins.com

Developed by board-certified neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Kausal Kulkarni, Eyetamins is made from hand-picked and carefully sourced quality ingredients, and is completely GMP certified, and free from any soy or gluten. Best of all, Eyetamins also support charities that are fighting preventable blindness worldwide. At the moment, Eyetamins has three offerings for different eye needs, which includes:

a. Sea Berry - Eyetamins newest formula, seaberry is packed with omega 3, 6, 7, and 9 to help moisturize the eyes, skin, and mouth. It also helps reduce inflammation and nourishes your eyes.

b. Blue Blocker - As Eyetamins best seller, blue blocker is made to meet the modern world’s demands for our eyes, and as such, provides maximum protection. Blue blocker helps filter out blue light, enhance your overall eyesight, and help you sleep.

c. Optimeyes - As 50% of our brains is devoted to our vision, this formula is made to assist that by boosting our memory, improving our cognition, and enhancing our overall eyesight.

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Eyetamins' product offerings. eyetamins.com

5. Eat healthy. Besides taking Eyetamins for your eyes, also make sure that you eat a healthy and balanced diet. Not only will this improve your vision, but also keep your entire body at its peak. As for eye-boosting foods, eat cold water fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines. Also eat nuts, legumes, eggs, whole grains, citrus fruits, berries, and leafy greens. All of these foods will help improve your eyesight while also keeping it healthy.

6. Increase your font’s point size. If you find yourself reading long documents or have to spend hours using your computer with your back hunched over, increase your font’s point size. This will help reduce eye strain, and will be very helpful in improving your reading experience.

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Switching from laptop to mobile phone also adds to screentime. Photo by Pixabay (CC0)

7. Get enough sleep. And get it regularly. Sleeping is one of the most important processes our body needs to go through, as it’s the time where your body, including your eyes, rests and repairs itself. Not getting enough sleep leads to tired eyes as well, which can just hamper your productivity and daily life.

8. Get your eyes checked regularly. This is important, especially if you’re wearing any form of glasses or lenses. Regularly checking in with an optometrist or ophthalmologist will also let you know if your eyes are healthy, or if you need any treatment for it. Hopefully, it’s always the former.

Just a few habits and tips you can make and follow in order to keep your eyes healthy. Unless you want to be like Daredevil and fight criminals while only using your hearing, then it’s safe to say that you don’t want to go blind… or at least have some eye problems. Take care now!