Reduce Digital Eye Strain

Do you get headaches or eyestrain from staring at your computer screen? At the end of a long day in front of your digital devices, is it difficult to focus on objects in the distance? You may be suffering from digital eye strain. With most of the population working on computers for multiple hours a day, our opticians want to share some information on the benefits of computer lenses.

Computer Lenses

According to the American Optometric Association, the average American worker spends seven hours a day on the computer, either in the office or working at home. That’s why digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome is common. Computer vision syndrome is caused by excessive digital screen use and exposure to blue light. Read about how blue light affects your eye health.

Symptoms include:

• blurry vision
• sore and tired eyes
• neck and shoulder pain
• headaches
• eye strain
• squinting or experiencing fatigue when driving, playing sports, or when looking more than a few feet away

Special lenses can be used to supplement your primary pair of eyewear. They can solve vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer, tablet, e-reader, and cell phone use by enhancing vision at the near and intermediate distances.  

To avoid or reduce digital eye strain

• Take Breaks: Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every twenty minutes, concentrate on taking a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away.
• Adjust your monitor: Your computer monitor should be approximately 20-24 inches from your eyes with the center of your screen being 10 to 15 degrees below your eyes.
• Sit with proper posture when using a computer
• Computer Set Up: Invest in a new monitor that reduces glare, such as an LCD screen.
• Adjust lighting: Adjust the lightening around you to minimize glare and adjust your monitor settings to control the level of brightness, text size and contrast, and the color temperature

Are you experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain? Ask our opticians for more information during your next visit.