Computers have revolutionized how we do things in our daily lives. In today’s world we use computers for almost everything—we use them to do our jobs, communicate, navigate, invest, manage, etc… It is now hard to imagine how we could get by without computers because of the many amazing things they allow us to do, but what does all this exposure to digital screens mean for our eyes?
Well unfortunately it means a lot of us will commonly suffer from digital eye strain. Digital eye strain is becoming a growing concern as we continue to grow increasingly more dependent on digital devices. Symptoms of digital eye strain include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Dry eyes
- Strained eyes
- Red eyes
- Dizziness
Studies have shown that when we are using digital devices we tend to blink a lot less than we should. In fact, while using a digital device we blink one-third of the time we do when we aren’t and many of the blinks we do while in front of a computer are only partial blinks. When we blink it helps to rejuvenate the surface of our eye by keeping them clean and well moisturized.
It is recommended that you take the occasional break from using your digital devices to give your eyes a chance to refresh. Studies have shown that even taking breaks as short as five minutes can help to drastically reduce your symptoms and frequency of digital eye strain. If you are suffering from recurring symptoms of digital eye strain you should consult your eye doctor to come up with a plan to reduce your eye strain and improve your quality of life.
