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Preventing Digital Eyestrain

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Using screens either for work or entertainment has become one of the most prevalent parts of our lives. You need to use screens for almost every task to keep up with your daily life. However, it leads to dry eyes, tiredness, blurry vision, shoulders, and neck pain. It is because of the constant use of smartphones, computers, tablets, and other screens use. We call it digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome.

How to Prevent Digital Eyestrain?

Here are the ways you can prevent digital eye strain.

1.      Appropriate lighting

Most often, eye strain results from extremely bright lighting that may be artificial interior lighting or natural sunlight. While using a computer, your environment lighting should be half as vivid as found in most offices.

 

You need to reduce exterior light by using shades, drapes, or blinds. Interior lighting should consist of fewer light bulbs or fluorescent tubes, or bulbs that have lower intensity. Soft LED lighting can produce a softer effect on your eyes.

2.      Exercise your Eyes

Another reason for computer eye strain is fatigue. Continuously focusing on the screen can exhaust your eyes. It is important to look away from your computer for at least 20 to 25 seconds every 20 minutes and look at distant objects to minimize the risk of impaired vision.

 

This exercise can potentially minimize the risk of losing focusing ability. Moreover, it is also advisable to blink frequently during work to reduce the risk of dry eyes.

3.      Adjust your workplace

Adjusting your workplace is also a significant way of reducing strain on your eyes. You can place the written pages adjacent to your screen. Make sure to light your desk properly, and you can also use a desk lamp, but it should not flash into your eyes or computer screen.

 

Besides, poor posture can also cause vision syndrome. You need to adjust your posture correctly so that you can sit comfortably and not feel stressed. Keep your computer screen at least 20 to 24 inches away from your eyes.

4.      Fiddle with Your Devices

Adjust your devices well by following the rules for your eye health. You can consider the following preventive measures:

 

  • Elevate the contrast on your screen
  • Adjust the brightness of the screen. It should neither be lighter nor darker than your surroundings.
  • Make text more prominent so that it is visible.
  • Minimize the color temperature of the screen to reduce eye strain

5.      Examine Proper Posture

Slouching may cause stress on your eyes, so adjust your chair at eye level with your screen when using a computer. Make sure to keep your head and neck in an upright position. Moreover, you can select a chair with lower back support that gives you more comfort.

 

Take Away

Getting rid of eye strain completely is not possible. However, you can manage to prevent it by adopting the above techniques. So, save your eyes from stress by following the above helpful tips.

Written by Total Focus

At Total Focus Optometry, we’ve spent the last 70 years building meaningful relationships with our patients and their families. From routine eye exams to contact lens fittings we offer our patients a variety of services to meet their eye care needs.

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