Aye: Tips t' ease yer weary peepers.
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| | | | | In case you didn't know, September 19 is Talk Like a Pirate Day. So today, I'm sharing this tale of my eye health and how it occasionally motivates me to dress like a pirate — and not just for Halloween or spooky season. | | | | | | | Sail on, mateys!
Mike Hoskins
Engagement Editor, Healthline |  | | Written by Mike Hoskins
September 19, 2025 • 3.5 min read | | | | | | | |
| |  | | | | I be havin' an eye patch and a puffy shirt! | | This is a (pirate's) tale of life with eye disease, including retinopathy, glaucoma, and eyestrain. My vision woes are mostly in my right eye, and they include what I call a "veil effect," or dark floaters and a sensation of looking through a clouded curtain (or veil) affecting my vision. | | Staring at a bright computer screen for hours at a time doesn't help, and it wears on my eye. This has led me to wear an eye patch for brief periods of time to help ease that eyestrain. | | While this isn't recommended as a long-term solution for my eye condition(s), it does help me as a workaround for brief periods of time, usually a few times a month. It complements my eye treatments, which include twice-a-day drops for glaucoma and periodic injections or laser therapy for my diabetes-related retinopathy. | | My retinal specialist is aware of this and reminds me that it's not a long-term solution. But this eye doctor also doesn't discourage this practice, on a very limited basis. | Here are other small steps I've turned into habits to help manage eyestrain, based on my eye doctor's advice: - Taking eye breaks: Every so often, I take breaks from looking at my screen. I might turn to paper-and-pen work or enjoy some off-time, like lunch, moving around on my office treadmill, or taking the dog for a walk. These eight eyestrain tips have gone a long way for me.
- Changing my screen size and lighting: Eyestrain and computer use go hand in hand. I switched to a larger desktop monitor rather than a smaller laptop screen. This helps keep my back straighter when in my office chair, and it's done wonders for my lower back pain. I also use a brighter screen setting and turn on the office light to improve lighting contrast for my eyes.
- Following the 20-20-20 rule: I use the 20-20-20 rule to help ease my eyestrain during the day when my screen-viewing is at the highest level during work hours.
- Eating for eye health: I have started weaving these seven foods and ingredients into my daily and weekly meal plans to help my eye health.
- Wearing prescription lenses: Since I wear eyeglasses to correct near-sightedness, my eye doctor has prescribed specialist lenses that help limit my screen-related blue light exposure. The verdict is out on whether these are truly effective, but my eye doctor recommended they could help with eyestrain, along with other lifestyle habits and eye condition treatments.
- Using eye drops: My glaucoma treatment involves medicated eye drops twice a day. These are medicated drops specific for glaucoma, but you may also use these over-the-counter eye drops to help soothe dry or itchy eyes.
Since I try to keep a sense of humor about it all to help cope with this reality, the joke in our household and with my eye specialist is that I'm pretending to be a pirate. On certain days when I may not have work-related Zoom meetings or need to travel out in public, you might find me wearing an eye patch along with a white puffy pirate-style shirt. We have even more fun with it during Halloween and on Talk Like a Pirate Day, like you do. | | | | | | | | | | Sponsored by | | | | | SIMPLIFIED HEALTH TESTING | | | It's test time! | | | | | | |  | | Labcorp OnDemand Cortisol Test | Cortisol is a stress-related hormone like adrenaline, but it affects your blood sugar and metabolism more than your immediate fight-or-flight response. A cortisol imbalance can also contribute to common health issues, including high blood pressure, unintended weight gain, and irritability.
Labcorp OnDemand's Cortisol Test can help you get an idea of your cortisol levels, which can help you better understand your well-being. All you need to do is collect your sample in person at any of Labcorp's locations, and you'll get your results as early as 1 day from when your sample arrives at the lab. The test is even HSA/FSA eligible! Save 15% with the code HEALTHLINE15. | | | Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline's or Optum Now's vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Now are owned by RVO Health. | | | | | | | | | | | |   | | | | | | | | Until next time, |  | Take care of yourself, and we'll see
you again soon! | | |  | | |  | | This edition was powered by | | Pirates. | | | | | | | | View in browser
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