BY SANDRA GUY

The coronavirus pandemic’s worries seem endless, and now eye strain has landed on the list of concerns.

If you’re among those suffering dry, watery, sore, tired or itchy eyes — or other eye-strain symptoms — chalk it up to seemingly endless screen-staring time, lack of exercise outdoors and staying focused on objects in close range. Though troublesome for adults, it’s particularly worrisome for young children, too, because nearsightedness it grows more serious with age.

Besides doing occasional eye exercises such as focusing on a distant object or tracing a rainbow from one end to the other to move your eyes, you can ask your doctor about taking other measures to keep your eyes healthy.

It’s a particularly timely topic because March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, promoted by Prevent Blindness, a Chicago-based non-profit dedicated to saving sigh. The aim is to provide employers and employees with free information on the best ways to keep vision healthy on the job.

Though more long-term studies are required, preliminary research has shown that supplements of Gingko Biloba — extracted from the leaves of the Gingko Biloba tree — may help improve blood flow and improve vision. Evidence in preliminary research has emerged that gingko biloba may help prevent worsening in age-related macular degeneration — the loss of eyesight in the center of one’s field of vision because the center of the retina deteriorates.

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lacks the power to approve supplements, be sure to ask your doctor before taking Gingko Biloba. It’s especially important if you take aspirin or blood thinner.