As people continue to work from home during the pandemic, eyestrain becomes a more prominent issue. This condition can make it difficult to concentrate and causes headaches and blurred vision. Eyestrain occurs when you spend too much time staring at digital monitors, but you can practice some simple eye care techniques to mitigate your risk.

How to Prevent Sore Eyes at Home

1. Adjust Monitor Settings

If you often stare at a computer screen for work, make sure the settings are optimized for your eye health. Keep the brightness level close to the rest of the lighting in the room.

If your screen is the main source of light, it can overwhelm the eyes and tire them out quicker. You can also make the font larger so that you don’t have to squint or lean forward as you work. Try zooming in on the pages you normally use to see if you can make the text easier to read.

2. Minimize Glare

The glare bouncing off your monitor can overwhelm the eyes with too much light, increasing the chance of eyestrain developing. You can reduce the amount of glare by keeping the shades closed in your home office and positioning the monitor so that it’s not facing any windows.

Move any bright lamps or light fixtures to prevent them from reflecting off the screen. Special anti-reflective protectors can also be applied to your monitor.

3. Wear Protective Eyeglasses

Blue light is a significant contributor to eyestrain. This light is emitted from the monitor, and it has been shown to cause fatigue, dry eyes, and reduced focus.

To counteract these issues, purchase a pair of eyeglasses specially tinted to limit blue light exposure. You can even get a pair with prescription lenses if you already wear glasses while working.

4. Take Breaks

When working from home, always adhere to the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, focus on an object that’s 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This gives your eyes a chance to rest and reduces the strain associated with working on screens. Take this opportunity to stand and stretch your body to prevent tight muscles caused by sitting for too long.

 

Make sure you’re protecting your eyes while working from home by contacting the eye care experts at Graham Optical. Serving Fort Smith, AR, for over 55 years, their team of highly trained doctors has the tools and experience needed to help you avoid eyestrain. They can teach you the best practices for working from home and provide you with blue light filtering eyeglasses. Visit them online to learn more, or schedule an eye care appointment by calling (479) 782-6737.