Abstract :
Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the 20-20-20 rule in alleviating symptoms of digital eye strain (DES) among individuals with prolonged screen exposure.Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the Ophthalmology Outpatient Department of a tertiary care hospital in Panipat. A total of 268 participants aged 18–60 years, each reporting more than 4 hours of daily screen use, were enrolled. Participants were instructed to follow the 20-20-20 rule, which involves taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to focus on an object at least 20 feet away. Data were collected using Google Forms at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. The questionnaire recorded demographic details, screen usage, and asthenopic symptoms. Symptom relief and adherence to the rule were assessed at follow-up visits.Results: The mean age of participants was 45.93 years, with an average daily screen time of 6.34 hours. Mobile phones were the primary devices used by 78% of participants. At the 4-week follow-up, 59% reported symptom relief, with significant improvements in tired eyes (p=0.002), headache (p
Keyword :
Digital eye strain, 20-20-20 rule, Computer vision syndrome, Screen time, Eye health, Symptom relief, Visual ergonomics.