Back in the day, you only had to worry about the glare from your desktop monitor. These days, our eyes are bombarded by tablets, e-readers, smartphones, and more — and that’s before we even leave the house.
Out in the real world, our eyes are constantly focusing on the various screens we encounter, from figuring out the next stop on the subway to editing endless spreadsheets on your work computer. All this effort puts a real strain on our precious peepers, which can result in computer vision syndrome, also known as digital eye strain. This common eye condition includes symptoms such as headaches, neck pain, double vision, and difficulty refocusing.
Surprisingly, adults spend the most time in front of computer screens and monitors, averaging an astounding 9.5 hours per day. For this reason, it’s essential to stay on top of your regular, comprehensive eye exams and to reach out to your doctor when you notice the slightest change to your vision. After all, many symptoms of computer vision syndrome are the same as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts.
It’s even more important to follow up with your eye doctor if you are middle-aged and of Mexican-American or African-American descent, as people from these two ethnic groups are more likely to develop glaucoma at younger ages than other ethnic groups.
How to Lessen Screen Fatigue
Distance
Keep your eyes at least an arm’s length away from the computer monitor in front of you and at least 16 inches away from any handheld devices such as smartphones and e-readers. If that sounds like too much and you find yourself squinting at this distance, fight the urge to bring the screen closer to your eyes. Instead, open up your smartphone or e-reader settings and increase the font size.
Lighting
Always read in the softest light you can to avoid harsh glare. If you wear eyeglasses, consider talking to your eye doctor about an anti-glare coating on the lenses of your next pair of glasses. Your eyes are worth the extra protection. Anti-glare (also called anti-reflective) coatings are available for virtually all lenses in our optical shop.
Breaks
The American Optometric Association recommends the 20-20-20 rule to help alleviate digital eye strain. The rule is simple — every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something that’s 20 feet away. This is a helpful reminder if you spend a lot of time at your desk each day.
Anti-Glare Filters
If you don’t wear glasses or contacts, you may want to take a look at anti-glare filters for your desktop or laptop screen to help minimize strain on your eyes. Anti-glare filters are easily found online and are relatively inexpensive, especially when you consider the fact that your eye health is so very important.
Stahl Eyecare Experts, Eye Doctors Long Island
If you’re experiencing discomfort from prolonged screen use, don’t put off a visit with an eye care expert. Schedule an appointment with one of our eye doctors in Long Island for help with digital eye strain. As mentioned earlier, some symptoms can be a sign of a more serious eye condition, so it’s better to undergo a comprehensive eye exam to make sure you’re in the clear.
