In this day and age, you simply can’t avoid digital screens. Whether for work, school or entertainment, many of us spend hours every day looking at a tablet, smartphone, television or computer. Without taking proper precautions, these devices can cause both short-term vision discomfort and long-term damage to your eyes.
Fortunately, our Calgary eye care team has compiled some helpful tips for how to avoid digital eye strain and minimize your risk of eye disease and other damage to your visual system later in life. Take a look below:
1. Be conscious of lighting
Make sure that the lighting on your screen and the lighting in your immediate surroundings are about even. Dark screens in high-light surroundings, or high-light screens in dark surroundings can cause significant eye strain and headaches.
2. Ask your doctor about blue light glasses
The digital screens we all use every day put out a lot of blue light, which can disrupt sleep patterns, cause dry eye symptoms and eye strain. Now, scientists are investigating whether blue light can increase the long-term risk of eye diseases like macular degeneration. Your eye doctor may be able to prescribe blue light glasses, which filter out a high percentage of the blue light that comes from these screens.
3. Follow the 20-20-20 rule
Take a break every 20 minutes to look at something that’s at least 20 feet away from you for at least 20 seconds. This is what’s called “the 20-20-20 rule.” It will rest your eyes and help them reset before returning to work.
4. Make sure you’re viewing devices from a proper distance
We often don’t realize how close we are to our screens, especially while immersed in work, a movie or game. Sitting too close can cause achy eyes, headaches and dry eye symptoms in a relatively short amount of time. Sitting around 25 inches away from your screen is considered the ideal distance to avoid these and other uncomfortable symptoms.
5. Keep up with annual comprehensive eye exams
As with any problems with your eyes, digital eye strain can be addressed and treated as part of a routine comprehensive eye exam. Our eye doctors can speak to you about your lifestyle and run some tests to determine if your screen usage is harming your eyes and your vision. If so, they can prescribe treatment and provide tips to solve the problem.
Want to learn more about how we can help? Contact our Calgary eye doctors at Browz Eyeware today.
Q&A
Can blue light glasses harm my eyes or vision?
No. There is no evidence that blue light glasses do any harm to those who wear them. As a matter of fact, blue light glasses are so safe that eye care professionals sometimes prescribe them for all-day wear to people who regularly work entire days on digital screens.
Looking to find out more about blue light glasses? Get in touch with us today.
What is computer vision syndrome?
Computer vision syndrome is a condition that occurs as a result of long hours spent on digital devices. Symptoms may include headaches, dry eyes, neck and shoulder pain and blurry vision. Though there seems to be no long-term damage caused to your eyes by this particular condition, it can severely impact your comfort and quality of life.