A few simple steps can keep students’ eyes healthy throughout studying, sports, and dorm life.
As kids progress through high school and college, they face new challenges and must learn new life skills almost constantly. They take up new sports, learn to drive, hit the books for increasingly important exams, and also do the hard work of learning independence. And with that independence comes a new level of responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.
The health of our eyes is a critical part of our overall well-being, profoundly influencing our daily quality of life. Vision impairments, pain, and irritation can contribute to poorer academic performance, non-eye-related injuries, mental health struggles, and chronic health conditions.
But if you take care of your eyes, they’ll take care of you. A few straightforward, healthy habits help students avoid the worst of the risks associated with long hours of study, intense sports, and dorm living, and promote healthy vision into later adulthood. It’s never too early to start thinking about eye health!
Set your study spaces up for easy viewing.
For today’s high school and college students, studying can often involve a lot of screens. When you spend a great deal of time in front of digital screens, or are reading for long stretches of time, you tend to blink your eyes less frequently. On top of that, poor lighting and improperly positioned screens make it harder for your eyes to focus—and the result is eye strain and gritty, dry eyes.
For comfortable studying, make sure that your screen is far enough away from you to see clearly, and that it isn’t too bright for the surroundings. Position your screens slightly below your eyeline to cut down on dry eyes. Switch between screens and paper books when you can to give your eyes a rest from the glare, and make sure that your reading area is lit well enough to see the page.
Take regular breaks.
Staying in one position for too long is hard on any group of muscles, and your eye muscles are no exception. In addition, focusing on objects close by for long stretches of time may cause myopia (nearsightedness) to progress faster. Be sure to take regular breaks, especially from screens, and use the 20-20-20 rule as a guide: every 20 minutes, take a break to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. These breaks prevent strain and give your eyes a chance to rest.
Wear the right equipment for your activities.
Of course, it’s critically important to use protective eyewear when it comes to sports. Every sport carries its own risk, and requires its own type of protective equipment. Facemasks, goggles, and other types of protective eyewear keep debris out of your eyes and help prevent injuries which can worsen into permanent damage.
But sports aren’t the only place where protective equipment is required, or even just useful. Some high school and college science classes include lab sections, where protective eyewear is mandatory for handling certain equipment or chemicals. In these situations, it’s necessary to use appropriately rated safety equipment, and not just rely on your standard eyeglasses to do the job.
Anti-glare or blue-light-filtering lenses can also help shield your eyes during long stretches of staring at screens, and a good pair of sunglasses are useful for everyday protection from UV rays.
Practice good hygiene.
Laundry—the bane of every college student’s existence. While it can be a challenge to get in the routine of washing your bedding, or to find a free machine in your dorm or at the laundromat, regularly cleaning your pillowcase and any face cloth you use prevents bacteria from building up and causing eye infections.
Bacteria is also a risk when it comes to dorm living and shared bathrooms. To avoid cross-contamination, make sure you’re the only person who uses the things that come into contact with your eyes: your contact solution or case, eye drops, eye makeup, washcloth, or anything else that regularly touches your face.
Cultivate healthy habits in every area.
Eye health is closely tied to overall health. In the same way that eye conditions can affect your overall quality of life, the health of the rest of your body also impacts your eyes. For instance, high blood pressure can cause damage to your optic nerve, potentially impairing your vision. Diabetes also carries a risk of diabetic retinopathy, which is one of the world’s leading causes of blindness.
To that end, it’s important to keep up with generally healthy habits like getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, and avoiding smoking. You can also incorporate eye-healthy foods into your diet for an extra boost.
Connect with a great care provider.
Finally, high quality vision care is key to everyone’s eye health, including students. Regular checkups with a care provider can help you establish your eye health baseline and get ahead of any issues that might arise by identifying them early. As teenagers and young adults grow and develop, their vision can change too, so be sure to mention any differences to your care provider.
Your family history can also give you and your provider the information you need to achieve your best eye health. If you have an increased risk for certain eye-related conditions, you and your provider can keep a close watch for early signs or symptoms, and control the situation from the start. Make sure to talk to your family and learn your risks so that you can be your own best health advocate.
Heritage knows the academic value of healthy vision.
Making eye health care more accessible to everyone is central to Heritage’s mission—and we know that it’s especially critical for students. We’ve seen firsthand how good vision care can make students more engaged, improve their moods, and create better academic outcomes through our work with the Detroit Public Schools Community District.
That’s why we encourage all of our members to take full advantage of their vision benefits, for themselves and for their school-age children. For students headed to college in a new place—or for anyone seeking a quality vision care provider—Heritage’s provider search tool can connect you with a trusted local professional. Start the coming school year off on the right foot with healthy vision habits, and schedule an eye exam today!