With digital devices woven into the fabric of our daily routines, it’s easy to spend a considerable amount of time sitting in front of a screen. From our phones first thing in the morning to a computer during the day and perhaps another screen for entertainment in the evening, they are typically within close reach.
Too much screen time can cause computer eye strain and impact the quality of our lives. We’d like to briefly cover the symptoms and some tips to help avoid computer eye strain issues.
Eye strain symptoms
You might be suffering from digital eye strain if you have a combination of:
- headaches
- blurry vision
- focusing problems
- sore, red, or itchy eyes
- increased sensitivity to light
- twitching eyelids
How does it happen?
We can strain our eyes from reading or driving for extended periods and struggling in dimly lit environments. The most common cause, however, is the prolonged computer use. Eye strain is more common now as screens are used for both work and entertainment, and those who work with a computer screen for most of their time will be the most affected.
5 tips on how to relieve eye strain
- Focusing at a particular distance can cause fatigue. A simple method to help mitigate this effect is the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at an object over 20 feet away for 20 seconds or more. It’s also recommended that you position any screens at arm’s length and at eye level to maximise comfort.
- Find a balance in your room’s lighting so you aren’t squinting from bright sunlight and not straining in the shadows.
- Invest in glasses that reduce glare and filter out the blue light emitted from screens, which can affect your sleep cycle and may exacerbate eye strain. These can be with or without a prescription.
- Studies have shown that we only blink about a 1/3 as often when using a screen. Repeated, slow blinks can help relubricate eyes if they become dry, as this spreads moisture from your tear film across your eyes.
- Adjust your screen settings to make your display as easy on the eyes as possible. Play around with the colour settings, resolution and text size.
Speak to us
If you’re struggling with any of the symptoms listed, are interested in blue light lenses, or need more information about computer eye strain, please get in touch with one of our team at our opticians in Liverpool today.
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