Belgian ‘National Eye Health Week’ launches app that makes you look away from your screen

‘National Eye Health Week’, an initiative of the A.P.O.O.B. (Belgian Opticians and Optometrists Association) is proud to announce the launch of the free ‘Eyescare’ app today, to coincide with World Sight Day. The app is designed to boost awareness for the dangers of excessive use of computers. 

8 hours per day. That is how long we sit behind a computer screen on average every day. Despite the fact that the excessive use of computers can cause significant eye fatigue which, in turn, can have serious consequences. Tired eyes, hazy vision, headaches… these are just a few examples of the symptoms which can be caused by excessive computer use.

“Nevertheless, there is a simple technique to counter tired computer eyes: the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look away from your computer screen for 20 seconds and look at an object 20 metres away,” explains Vincent Breugelmans, spokesman for ‘National Eye Health Week’. “But let’s be honest: who of us has the discipline to apply that in practice every day?”

Which is why ‘National Eye Health Week’ is launching Eyescare today, a desktop app which shows you a shocking photo every 20 minutes, forcing you to look away from the screen. And there is no escaping it. Because the photo is shown full screen and only disappears after a few seconds.

“More than just an effective tool, however, Eyescare’s goal is to generate awareness for an acute present-day problem,” says Breugelmans.

People who want to check whether their sight is perfectly in order can have their eyes tested for free by a qualified optician during ‘National Eye Health Week’. Anyone interested may do so until 17 October via weekvanhetzien.be. ‘Eyescare’ is available for Windows and Mac via eyescare.be.

About A.P.O.O.B.

A.P.O.O.B. (Belgian Opticians and Optometrists Association) is the national professional association that represents the interests of the optician-optometrist profession in all its facets. It strives to promote optimum eye care while generating awareness for the profession amongst the broader public.

About ‘National Eye Health Week’

The Belgian Opticians and Optometrists Association (A.P.O.O.B.) are organising the 11th edition of “National Eye Health Week” from 5 to 17 October. During this period, members of the public can visit partcipating opticians-optometrists for a free sight check-up. A simple eye test will tell whether their eyes are working optimally. And in addition to the results of the eye test, visitors are also given professional advice about the next steps. This service is provided free of charge and without any purchase requirement. The vision test does not evaluate the health of the eye, the domain of ophthalmologists.

“National Eye Health Week” is organised in the framework of the World Council of Optometry (WCO), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to WHO, 153 million people suffer from a visual impairment resulting from an uncorrected refractive error. This number is increasing annually as a result of population growth but also due to the ageing of the population. Problems with vision also affect productivity levels and quality of life in daily and professional life.