5 Ways to Look After Your Eyes if you Work on a Computer

In a world that is increasingly defined through its reliance on digital technology, eye strain is becoming an increasingly common issue. Although often overlooked, continuous and repetitive eye strain can sometimes cause great discomfort, and therefore it is important for your physical well-being to apply ways to alleviate such strain. If you struggle with sore eyes or dry eyes, speak to Adam Simmonds Optometrist.

Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain

There are many different symptoms associated with the eye strain caused from prolonged periods of time staring at a computer. Some of the most common ones including those listed below.

  • Headaches
  • Dry eyes
  • Blurred vision
  • Eye fatigue
  • Eye pain
  • Problems with sleep

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, we’ve created a list of 5 effective ways to reduce digital eye strain, helping to alleviate the pain that can be caused by this, so you can get on with your day-to-day life in this exciting technological age.

5 Ways to Alleviate Digital Eye Strain

1. Blink!

It may sound obvious, but when staring at a computer screen for prolonged periods of time, the rate you blink your eyes can significantly decrease, making you much more susceptible to one of the many irritating symptoms digital eye strain can cause; dry eyes. By making sure you blink frequently and slowly, you will help to reduce the risk of dry eyes by helping to provide sufficient lubrication needed for a healthy working eye.

2. Take Breaks

Taking regular breaks from your computer screen can also help to significantly reduce eye strain and the side effects that come with it. Taking a recommended 20 second break with every 20 minutes of screen time by staring at something 20 feet or more away (the 20-20-20 rule) can help to also effectively reduce the risk of eye strain, and the painful symptoms that can accompany it.

3. Decrease the Glare

The glare from a computer screen can increase your risk of eyestrain, with your eyes working extra hard to try and adapt to the brighter light conditions glare can bring into your vision. Purchasing such useful tools to prevent this as a computer screen glare filter can help to reduce this, and help you to win the fight against digital eye strain.

4. Increase the Distance

Making sure that you maintain a healthy distance between yourself, more specifically your eyes, and the computer screen can help to further reduce eye strain. The recommended distance for viewing a computer screen is between 20 and 28 inches from your eyes to the computer monitor.

5. Correct the Angles

The different angles of a computer screen generate different degrees of effort your eyes have to put in to read from it. Therefore, moving your computer screen to the best angle for your eyes can help to increase ease of reading, and further reduce potential strain. The recommended angle your computer screen should be is between 15 and 20 degrees (4 to 5 inches) measured below eye level and from the very centre of your computer screen.

Incorporating these five techniques into your daily routine could help you to significantly reduce the strain on your eyes and all the issues associated with this.