Brought to you by Opera Lane.

Most of us are spending more time staring at screens these days.

From a full day of Zoom calls and laptop work midweek to the Netflix binge at the weekend, it’s no wonder that Specsavers stores across Ireland have already seen a spike of enquiries from customers seeking help for tired, strained eyes caused by extended hours in front of computer and phone.

In fact, recent research has shown that 22 per cent of people have noticed their eyesight deteriorate during the lockdown.

Try the 20-20-20 trick: If you can’t help but be on screens for a large amount of your day, try the 20-20-20 rule, taking a break from screens every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

“A great New Year’s resolution we can all make in 2021 is keeping check of our screen time stats,” says Kerril Hickey, chairman of Specsavers Ireland.

“Most phones have a feature to let you review your screen time use, allowing you to take action if you are going above your usual average.”

Your hearing could be at risk too…

Orla Walsh, Specsavers audiologist, adds: “It’s not just our eyes that have suffered from our working from home set-ups over the past year. Those who choose to wear headphones should also take note of the damages that full volume virtual meetings could have on our ears.

“While on full volume, headphones can measure up to 110 decibels, which is a huge 25 decibels above the level of noise where hearing damage occurs.”

Something to consider before you head out to pound the pavement with your favourite tracks on blast.

“Instead try a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, rather than using volume to tune out the noise. If this isn’t an option, then try not to listen to your headphones at anything more than 60% volume,” says Orla.

Specsavers Opera Lane is still open during Level 5. The highest standards of care are in place, in line with government advice. If you can’t visit a store, you can book a consultation online at specsavers.ie/stores.