Do You Sit In Front Of A Computer All Day? You May Have Digital Eye Strain
If you sit in front of the computer all day, this can put a strain on your eyes. It can become even worse when you take into account things like tablets, smartphones, and e-readers. Digital eye strain is feeling physical discomfort in the eyes after sitting for long periods of time in front of a digital screen. Below is some more information about digital eye strain and what you can do to help prevent it from happening to you in the future.
Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain
If you have digital eye strain, you could have a variety of symptoms including:
- Headaches
- Doubled or blurry vision
- Dry or watery eyes
- Itching, burning, tired, or sore eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Feeling that you want to keep your eyes shut
These symptoms can become much worse the longer you sit in front of the computer screen.
Prevent Digital Eye Strain
There are things you can do to help prevent digital eye strain. There are computer glasses that are specifically made to be worn while viewing digital content on electronic screens. These glasses use special filters and lenses that allow you to have less discomfort and a much sharper focus. The glasses will also reduce glare on the screens, which helps your eyes stay in focus.
The AR (anti-reflective) lens is often used in these glasses. This lens decreases reflection of light from overhead. The lenses can also include blue light blocking, which absorbs harmful blue light and prevents it from entering in through your cornea.
Make sure you sit as far from the computer as you can and take frequent breaks away from the screen. Simply looking away for a few minutes every hour will help with this problem.
Adjust the brightness on the display screen down as much as you can. How you do this depends on the type of monitor you have. Refer to the user's manual or the manufacturer's website. Use a white background with black text as this is much easier on the eyes.
If you have an older computer monitor, replace it with an LCD monitor as this type of monitor releases less blue light. You should also blink frequently as this can help your eyes stay moist.
See your eye professional as these symptoms could also mean you have other problems other than digital eye strain. Some problems may require eye surgery to repair the damage to your eyes. For more information, contact local professionals like Dixie Ophthalmic Specialists at Zion Eye Institute.