DIGITAL EYE STRAIN
Do your eyes hurt after a day at the office?
Think about all the screens you use every day – desktop, laptop, tablets, ipads, and smart phones. “Digital Eye Strain” is the level of eye discomfort that occurs for many users.
Symptoms included are dry eyes, blurry vision, fatigue and neck and shoulder cramping. In a recent survey released by the Vision Council, a trade group for makers of eye care products, warned of serious long-term eye risk, including macular degeneration and cataracts.
Because of intense staring, we don’t blink as much when using screens and therefore don’t spread tears across the eyes, causing dryness. A solution is to blink every 10 seconds or so. People using a computer daily could stare at the screen 6-10 hours a day.
Here are some prevention tips from organizations such as Prevent Blindness, the National Eye Institute, and Get Eye Smart:
Make changes to your computer screen, such as:
- Place the screen 20-26 inches away from your eyes and a little below eye level.
- Regularly clean off dust and fingerprints from the screen. Smudges on the screen can reduce contrast and increase problems with glare and reflections.
- Choose screens that tilt and swivel.
- Consider using a glare filter over your screen.
In addition to promoting cardiovascular health, stepping away from computer screens periodically will help prevent digital eye strain.
Glasses can be tinted and regular eye exams should be done to determine if you may need a prescription change, or if the amount of time you’re spending at your desk is leading to tired or dry eyes.
About the author: John D. Bissell, OD is the owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services. Bissell Eye Care offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.
About the author: John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify. The practice accepts most types of vision and health insurance plans.