How to avoid Digital Eye Strain
How to prevent digital eye strain
Many of us spend hours staring at digital screens every day, and it takes a toll on our eyes. In fact, previous research shows that many people spend an average of 8-10 hours a day looking at digital screens or on close up tasks, a lot of these being children, teenagers, and young adults.
If you find yourself experiencing any of the following symptoms after spending time looking at a digital device, you may be suffering from digital eye strain:
- Headaches
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Eye fatigue
- Blurry vision
- Difficulty focusing
- Dry eyes
- Irritated eyes
If you think you might be experiencing this, there are a few things you can do to help prevent eye strain. First, make sure that your computer screen is positioned at eye level. Secondly, take frequent breaks away from the screen to give your eyes a chance to rest – we find the 20-20-20 rule works well – look away every 20 minutes, for 20 seconds at something 20 feet away. Finally, try to limit your screen time in general, curbing your use right before bed, and whenever possible during the day in your lunch breaks, or in the evening.
By taking these simple steps, you can help reduce the symptoms of digital eye strain and protect your eyes.
What if my digital eye strain symptoms persist?
If you continue to experience discomfort while using digital screen, it may be worth considering investing in specialised computer glasses for the computer, smart phones, and tablets that are designed to help reduce eye strain and fatigue.
We offer Sync III glasses lenses from Hoya, which are specifically designed for 13-45 year olds who wear glasses for distance vision and spend more than 2 hours a day looking at digital screens or on close up tasks and are experiencing eye strain.
They are essentially an enhanced distance vision lenses which also have a ‘boost zone’ at the bottom of the lens which is slightly stronger and helps your eye muscles to relax and therefore focus more easily for increased comfort and less eye strain. They also come in 3 different strengths, depending on age and the severity of your eye strain symptoms.
Recent studies have found that the severity of eye strain symptoms reduced in 84% of the reported cases after wearing Hoya Sync III lenses.
Contact our opticians in Whitley Bay
Don’t suffer in silence if you have digital eye strain symptoms that won’t go away – our opticians in Whitley Bay are just one phone call or visit away and are always happy to help – speak to one of our friendly team to get advice on your symptoms, find out more about Hoya Sync III lenses, or arrange a
time to visit us and get them fitted into your glasses.