What is the 20-20-20 rule to prevent digital eye strain?

We spend more than half of our day in front of screens, either on laptops or mobile phones. This prolonged screen time can often lead to dry and irritated eyes, eye strain, and other eye-related issues. “More than two billion individuals live with eye conditions globally, with India alone home to millions of people suffering from preventable vision loss,” Dr NS Muralidhar, President, Vitreo-Retinal Society of India, said.
Some other significant causes include cataract (responsible for 66.2 per cent of blindness cases among individuals aged 50 years or older), glaucoma (damage to the optic nerve), and retinal diseases (diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration), etc, Dr Muralidhar told .
Unlike these causes, Dr Rishi Bhardwaj, Consultant, Ophthalmology, Paras Hospital, Gurugram said that your vision may not necessarily be harmed glancing at digital devices. “But, it may result in discomfort and strain. The average human blinks 15 times every minute. This percentage drops to half or a third when looking at screens. This can result in dry, itchy, and worn-out eyes. It is known as computer vision syndrome (CVS),” he added.
Researchers explain that any respite from repetitive computer work or screen time is good (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
As such, is there an exercise that can help prevent eye strain? It’s the 20-20-20 rule! Here is how you can follow this: For every 20 minutes of screen time, look away for 20 seconds about 20 feet in front of you. “The purpose of this is to minimise the eye strain caused glaring at digital screens for long periods of time. Frequent breaks from the screen are essential in preventing computer vision syndrome,” Dr Muralidhar explained.
He added that this rule effectively reduces eye strain and other symptoms resulting from prolonged screen time.

According to Dr Bhardwaj, this “wonderful technique” helps us take frequent breaks from the screen. “This might lessen eye fatigue brought on extended use of digital screens,” he said.
Researchers explain that any respite from repetitive computer work or screen time is good, despite the fact that many doctors advise following the 20-20-20 rule as the best course of action, explained the ophthalmolog.
Experts mentioned that this simple rule, meant to reduce eye strain, can be followed anyone and everyone.
📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!