As the workforce becomes increasingly digital, more people are finding themselves staring at screens throughout the day. This increased screen time causes digital eyestrain for many people, which leads to dry eyes, blurred vision, and headaches. Luckily, there are some simple vision care tips you can follow to avoid these problems.

What Are the Top Vision Care Tips to Reduce Digital Eyestrain?

1. 20-20-20 Rule

Whenever you’re working on a computer, it’s recommended to give your eyes a break at least every twenty minutes. The best way to do this is by looking at an object that is twenty feet away for twenty seconds every twenty minutes. This method gives your eyes a break from staring at the screen in front of you and helps them relax.

2. Monitor 

Certain monitor positions make staring at a screen more uncomfortable because they force your eyes to look up or down for extended periods of time. To avoid this added strain, most people move the monitor 15 to 20 degrees below eye level to provide the most relaxed position. It should also be 20 to 28 inches away to further reduce the amount of strain while working.

If you have an older cathode ray tube (CRT) style monitor, it’s also recommended to upgrade it to an HD flat-panel light-emitting diode (LED) screen. These newer monitors reduce image flicker and reflections, which lead to greater eye fatigue during use.

3. Display

Laptop screens and monitors have the option to lower the brightness level, and this is a helpful vision care tool for reducing strain. For optimal results, the brightness should be about the same as the brightness of the area where you are working.

Reducing color temperature also helps. Monitors emit short-wavelength blue light, which strains eyes more than long-wavelength lights like red and orange lights. By reducing the color temperature of the monitor, you can eliminate some of the blue light that has been shown to exasperate digital eyestrain and damage the retina. 

4. Protection 

Most people don’t blink as often when using a computer, which dries out their eyes. Avoid this by using eye drops to keep them moist. There are also a variety of glasses and contact lenses on the market that are specially designed with lenses that filter out blue light. Wearing these while working helps to reduce the amount that gets into your eyes without having to dim the monitor. Not only are they helpful, but many come with designer frames so they can also be incredibly stylish.

 

If you’re struggling with digital eyestrain caused by your computer, contact the vision care experts at Wise Vision Care in Elizabethtown, KY. For more than 20 years, their highly trained team of optometry professionals have been providing eye care to local residents. They’ll work with you to provide tips for avoiding strain and find a solution to minimize the damage. Schedule an appointment by calling (270) 769-3708 or learn more about their services online.