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Digital eye strain is a condition that has become much more prevalent with the advent of computers, smartphones, work-from-home jobs, and so much time spent on or near screens. But are there any symptoms, causes, or ways to make eye strain less debilitating? In many cases, the answer is yes.
What is digital eye strain?
Digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome, is various vision and eye symptoms. Your eyes may feel tired and uncomfortable, or you may have trouble focusing normally. The more you use digital devices, the more exacerbated the symptoms may become.
Symptoms
Symptoms may include:
Itchiness
Tearing
Dry and red eyes
Headaches
Upper back and neck pain
Blurred vision
This is consistent with some of the most common symptoms of digital eye strain. However, if you are experiencing any of these consistently, some eye exercises can help you reduce this problem.
Causes
Glare on the screens
Improper distance between you and the screen
Poor posture
Uncorrected vision problems
or a combination of these
Sometimes, even minor vision problems, such as the wrong prescription, can affect your eye comfort. However, one of the biggest causes is the distance between you and your computer. When the space is too close or too far, it can cause your eyes to have difficulty focusing, placing even more demand on your eyes.
Positioning your computer
Making sure your chair and computer are at the right height and distance is vital to preventing or reducing digital eye strain symptoms. This includes lighting conditions, chair comfort, location of the computer, and use of rest breaks.
1. Location
Your computer screen should be at eye level or a little below and about 20-28 inches from your eyes. If you use reference materials for your job, they should be located above the keyboard and below the monitor. If this isn’t possible, use a document holder beside the monitor or laptop screen. The goal is not to have to move your head when looking from the document to the screen.
2. Lighting
Your computer screen should be where you avoid glare, especially from overhead lighting and windows. Use room dividers, blinds, or drapes on the windows, and replace the light bulbs with a lower wattage.
3. Seating
Chairs should conform to your body and be well-padded. They should also be adjusted so that your feet rest flat on the floor with your arms in a neutral position and are well supported.
Treatment
Digital eye strain can also be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. This testing goes through visual requirements while at the computer or other digital devices you may use at work. The exam may include
Patient history to determine symptoms the patient experiences, general health problems, medications taken, or environmental factors that could contribute to the symptoms related to computer use.
Visual acuity measurements to assess the extent to which vision may be affected.
Testing how the eyes focus, move, and work together. To obtain a clear image of what is being seen, the eyes must effectively change focus, move, and work in unison.
If you don’t need eyeglasses for everyday activities, you may benefit from asking your eye doctor about glasses specifically for excessive computer use. If you already wear glasses, you should find out if your current prescription provides the optimal vision for use at your computer.
You could also use a blue light filter on your computer or device or blue light filtering glasses.
In some cases, vision therapy may be needed to treat the problems. Vision therapy, or vision training, is a structured program of visual activities prescribed to improve visual abilities. It is often used for the lazy eye but can also help with other vision problems, help remediate deficiencies in eye movement focusing, and reinforce the eye-brain connection.
Prevention
There are a few things you can do to help prevent eye strain. Some of them can even help your productivity improve.
1. Take Rest Breaks
Try resting your eyes when using the computer for long periods. One of the best ways is to follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away (at least) for 20 seconds. Research has shown that taking brief breaks can drastically improve productivity.
2. Blink Your Eyes
Staring at screens can cause people not to blink as often as they should. To minimize getting dry eyes on your breaks, make sure you blink often enough.
3. Wear Glasses
Even if you don’t usually wear glasses for reading, driving, or anything else, a blue light prescription could reduce vision stress on your job.
If you wear glasses, especially for distant vision or reading, the glasses may not be as effective for looking at a computer screen.
Either way, when you go to your eye doctor, tell them about your job, how much you are on the computer and the distance you sit from your computer. This information will be invaluable for getting the best vision help on the job.
4. Minimize Blue Light And Glare
Your screen's blue and fluorescent light can harm your vision over time. As mentioned earlier, a blue light filter, blue light glasses, and reduced glare on your screen will help this.
5. Do Other Tasks As A Break
After working at the computer for an extended time, do something that doesn’t require your eyes to focus on something up close. Phone calls, making photocopies, consulting with co-workers, etc.
Eye Exercises
If eyestrain bothers you, you can try some eye exercises like the 20-20-20 rule mentioned earlier. Additionally, you can do the following exercises.
1. Blink Break
As mentioned earlier, if your eyes start feeling dry or you think a headache is coming, stop and concentrate on blinking at a normal rate.
2. Palms On The Eyes
Cup your palms over your eyes until all the afterimages fade to black for about 30 seconds. Make sure not to put pressure on your eyes. This will help your eyes relax.
3. Figure Eight
While cupping your eyes, imagine a big 8 turned on its side about ten feet in front of you. Slowly follow the 8 with your eyes several times. Then go the other direction.
4. Roll Your Eyes
While cupping your eyes, look side to side several times without moving your head. Next, look up and down several times, again, without moving your head.
5. Near And Far
If you wear glasses, this is especially good for you. Take your glasses off and hold your thumbs in the air, with one near your face and one further away. For 2 seconds each, focus on the near thumb and then the far one, followed by something across the room and then something even farther away (i.e., across the street).
Conclusion
Even when you have no choice but to work on your computer and digital devices for long periods of time, there are effective remedies for digital eye strain. Make sure your computer or device is positioned correctly, and try some treatments and exercises to mitigate symptoms. If you are consistently getting dry eyes, headaches, or your eyes keep hurting, you should consult with your Optometrist.
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