Many people spend a large amount of time staring at screens every day, which can seriously strain the eyes, an associate professor of nursing said yesterday.
National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences School of Nursing associate professor Hsu Shu-chen (徐淑貞) said watching a ball game or binge-watching a series can cause eye strain.
Long rides or flights can strain the eyes even more, as factors such as bumpy and shaky cabins or poor lighting might exhaust the eyes and increase the risk of developing myopia (nearsightedness), she said.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
A brightness level of 700 to 1000 lumens is considered ideal for reading or looking at screens, and people should sit up straight and ensure that the book or screen is about 35cm from their eyes, Hsu said.
Adults and children should take regular breaks from screens, she said, adding that for every 20 minutes of screen time, people should try to look at something far for at least 20 seconds.
The easiest way to rest your eyes is to close them, or leave the screen and go for a walk, stretch, drink water or go to the restroom, she said.
To relieve eye strain, people should consume foods rich in vitamins A, B, C, D and E, and zinc to help them produce tears, improve optic nerves, cornea and sclera health, protect the retina’s photoreceptor cells, and avoid macular degeneration, she said.
These foods include dark green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, plant oil, milk, eggs and oysters, she added.
Aside from food consumption, people can apply a warm towel to their eyes for about five to 10 minutes before going to sleep to help relieve eye strain, Hsu said, adding that people can also rub their hands together and place them over their closed eyes for the same effect.
People can also use their fingertips to massage the acupuncture points in the inner part of their orbital bone and below the eye sockets, or the temples, which would stimulate their nerves, improve blood circulation and relieve strain, she said.
They should not directly put pressure on their eyeballs, she added.
Taking a break from looking at a screen and going outdoors is also a good method to relieve eye strain, Hsu said.
Taking a walk can also help relax the mind and allow the eyes to look farther, and relax eye muscles, she added.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
RSS