Preventing online learning fatigue

With no cure for COVID-19 in sight yet, it seems that students will be doing much of their learning at home for the most part of this school year.

Many parents have probably started preparing a conducive learning space for their kids—with a desk, ergonomic chair, proper lighting, earphones and laptops, among others. Some may have already completed theirs this early. But beyond the tools needed for online learning, parents must also be mindful of the fact that the prolonged use of computers and sitting for an extended period can put a strain on your eyes, ears and muscles. There are a number tips you can check out to help prevent or at least minimize these occurrences for your child.

Avoid eye strain by seeing to it that you position your screen correctly.

Eye strain

As your child will now be spending much time in front of the screen, make sure to position your screen correctly—about an arm’s length and at the level of or slightly below your eyes. Lighting can also cause eye strain so make sure that it’s not too dim or too bright, or you can use filters to reduce glare from your devices. Even poor air quality causes eye strain so you can opt to use a humidifier or turn down the heating and cooling system.

Use earphones or headphones with care.

Ear pain

Some activities might require the use of earphones or headphones. But its excessive use can lead to earaches, ear infections and even hearing loss. To prevent these, first, make sure that your headphones are not worn too tightly around the head as this can put pressure or overly squeeze the ears, causing pain and discomfort. Clean your earbuds regularly as a dirty pair can induce infection or allergies by bringing additional bacteria and debris into the ear canal. Also, make sure to reduce the volume to 60 percent or less of the maximum volume to prevent hearing loss.

Maintain good posture at all times.

Muscle pains

Believe it or not, just sitting down in front of the computer can cause back, neck and shoulder pains, headaches and even injuries to the arms and hands. To prevent these, remind your child to maintain good posture at all times, regularly stand up and do some stretching exercises for the legs and the arms. It’s also best to have an adjustable desk specially designed for use with computers and have the keyboard at a height that lets your kid’s elbows rest comfortably at his or her sides. Make sure to adjust your kid’s chair so that the feet can rest flat on the floor, or use a footstool at least.

Medicard Access Express (MACE)

Consult with your doctor

Of course, when the pain or strain becomes unbearable, it’s best to consult with the professionals. Medicard Philippines Inc., the country’s leading health maintenance organization, makes it easier for you to do so, even in the comfort and safety of your own homes with its channel for telemedicine and MyPocketDoctor, an app where you can make an appointment, and consult with your doctor over Viber, Facebook Messenger and Facetime. It also has the Medicard Access Express (MACE), a free mobile app that offers another convenient way to access Medicard’s roster of healthcare services. Stay updated meanwhile through its website, medicardphils.com.

Sources: healthline.com, www.hearing-speechcenter.com, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.a
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