Digital Eye Strain-Causes And Prevention

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The other day in the late afternoon I began to experience a headache along with dryness and pain in both eyes. My symptoms persisted into the night. Early the next morning I decided to research information about my symptoms and came across a condition known as Computer Vision Syndrome or commonly known as Digital Eye Strain. I found that other symptoms besides the ones that I had experienced included eye fatigue and discomfort, blurry vision, eye twitching and red, burning eyes.

Researching further I discovered that one of the biggest causes of Digital Eyestrain is the daily use of digital screens for more than several hours at a time. A report by the Vision Council reported that 87% of people living in the United States use one or more digital devices for more than two hours a day including both adults and children. Other causes of Digital Eye Strain are listed below:

Common Causes Of Digital Eye Strain

1. Focusing on a single task for more than several hours at a time.

2. Working in lighting that is either too dim or too light.

3.Maintaining a poor posture when viewing a digital device.

4. Holding a digital device either too close or too far away from you

5. Exposed to extended amounts of Blue Light (Light emitted from digital devices)

6. Failing to blink as often as normal

So what can be done to prevent Digital Eye Strain?

Effective Strategies To Avoid Digital Eye Strain

1. Get a comprehensive yearly eye exam.

• Make sure to tell the eye doctor how often you use a computer.
• Measure the distance between your eyes and your monitor.
• Bring this measurement with you so that the doctor can test your eyes at this distance.

2. Use proper lighting

• Position your computer screen so that light coming in from windows is to the side of the screen and not in front or behind it.
• If using fluorescent tube lighting, try to reduce the number of tubes.

3. Minimize Glare

• Consider installing an anti-glare screen on your display.
• If you wear glasses, consider purchasing lenses with an anti-reflective coating.

4. Upgrade your display

• It’s best to use a flat panel LED screen with an anti-reflective surface.
• Choose a relatively large display. For desktops a 19 inch or larger is optimal.

5. Adjust your computer display settings

• Brightness: Set the brightness of the display to match the brightness of your surroundings.
• Text Size and Contrast: Adjust the text size and contrast for comfort. Avoid squinting! Usually black print on a white background is the most comfortable for reading or composing documents.
• Color Temperature: It is a technical term used to describe the spectrum of visible light emitted by a color display. Blue Light is short wave length that is associated with more eye strain. Reducing the color temperature of the display lowers the amount of Blue Light emitted.

6. Modify your Workstation

• Use correct posture in a sitting or standing position. See Related Post.
• Position the computer screen 20-24 inches or an arms length from your eyes with the center of the screen 10-15 degrees below your eyes.
• Check out this Quick Workstation Checklist below this post.

7. Blink often

• Blinking moisturizes the eyes and helps reduce redness and irritation.
• Try to blink your eyes 10 Times every 30 Minutes.

8. Exercise Your Eyes

Additional Exercises:

• 20-20-20 Rule: Look at an object about 20 feet away (an object outside the window or in another room), for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
• Look at an object far away for 10-15 seconds, then an object up close for 10-15 seconds every 30 minutes.

9. Consider Types Or Modification Of Eye Wear

• Blue Light Blocking Glasses These can also be purchased in “readers”, and from your eye doctor in prescription. I actually have 3 pairs (plain, readers, and prescription) and have noticed a definite reduction in frequency of headaches and eye discomfort.
• Photo-chronic Lenses
• Lightly tinted lenses to reduce glare

10. Take Frequent Breaks

• Try to take a 10 minute break every hour or so. Stand up, stretch your neck, shoulders, arms, back, and legs.
• Try these Simple Effective Exercises To Do At Work.

Conclusion

This post has highlighted the most common causes of Digital Eye Strain and effective strategies that can be implemented to avoid Digital Eye Strain. However; the most important way to prevent Digital Eye Strain is to get a yearly comprehensive eye exam before problems start.

I can honestly say that implementing these strategies especially the exercises has led to a decrease in both my headaches and eye discomfort.

So the next time you are using a digital device try these tips out and let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you!