There are several signs and symptoms of increased visual stress, Slotnick says. Some are more obvious, like increased eyestrain, tension and/or headaches; intermittent blurry vision; and a tendency to lean in close to computer screens and mobile devices. But others are subtler, like increased shoulder and neck discomfort; difficulty maintaining concentration; and re-reading material for comprehension.

During the height of the pandemic, Slotnick shared her holistic approach to vision care with her optometric colleagues in a series of lectures presented worldwide. She then distilled them into an article to help clinicians in all health fields understand the impact of stress on the use of one’s visual field, and on eye-focusing, eye-teaming and eye-movement skills. She calls that cumulative effect the Sympathetic Overdrive Cascade.

In a grassroots effort to support members of her community, Slotnick also created a webinar presentation of self-help exercises and strategies to alleviate screen-based visual stress. That webinar is now available at DrSlotnick.com/diffusestress.