Tips to Protect Your Eyes From Digital Screen Eyestrain

Almost everyone constantly stares at their digital screens daily. Using digital screens for a long time leads to eyestrain. Below are some tips to help protect your eyes from straining.

Go for Routine Comprehensive Eye Exams

Every individual should schedule routine eye examinations to ensure their eyes are healthy. The exams are essential for people who constantly use digital screens for long periods. They are also a crucial step to take to ensure you protect your eyes from straining.

It is essential to go to your eye doctor with information about your digital screen habits. Your specialist can evaluate your eyes and establish if you have a deeper problem than using digital screens. Issues like astigmatism can cause eyestrain even if you are not a constant screen user.

Use Blue Light Blocking Eye Glasses

Digital screens emit artificial blue light at high levels. Prolonged exposure to such light causes eye fatigue and affects your sleep quality. Your eye doctor can give you eyeglasses to block the blue light from reaching your eyes to improve your digital eyestrain symptoms.

Lighting

Eyestrain occurs when lighting from either outdoors or indoors is too bright. When using a digital screen such as a computer, the ambient lighting should not be very radiant. You can close your blinds, drapes, or shades to eliminate any light from outside. You can also use fluorescent tubes, lower intensity bulbs, or fewer bulbs to reduce lighting indoors.

You can protect your eye from digital strain if you avoid working or using your digital screen in front or behind windows that let in light. Use floor lamps and avoid overhead fluorescent lights to ensure your eyes do not strain.

Take a Break

It is essential to take breaks from using your digital devices for a long time. Doing so reduces the risk of developing eye fatigue, dry eyes, and eyestrain. You also relieve your shoulders, neck, and back from aching.

There are various recommendations for taking breaks from using digital screens. Take at least 15 minutes off after every one hour. You can take a walk or move around to help stretch your legs, shoulders, back, and neck to reduce tension in your whole body for good health.

You can also practice the 20-20-20 rule. After 20 minutes of using your digital screen, stare at an object 20 feet from you. Do so for 20 seconds before resuming using your device. Such exercises help reduce your chances of getting eyestrain.

Blink More Often

Blinking is essential when using digital screens. It helps moisten your eyes to prevent eye irritation and dryness. When you stare at the screen, you blink less than you should. The tears that coat your eyes evaporate fast when you do not blink. Also, the air in the environment you are in can increase the rate at which your tears evaporate and increase your risk of getting severe dry eye problems. 

It is ideal to become conscious about your blinking rate to help protect you from symptoms of digital eyestrain. Practice blinking more often whenever you are reading, watching, or doing an activity that entails using a digital device.

For more on digital screen eyestrain, call Grove Eye Care at one of our offices in Virginia. Call (804) 353-3937 to reach our office in Richmond or (804) 888-8998 to reach our office in Midlothian.