The pandemic has many people staying home and turning to their digital devices for entertainment. Practicing eye care is especially important if you’re watching TV, scrolling on your smartphone, or online shopping at a computer. Without the proper protections, you may develop dry eye, an uncomfortable condition that causes redness, irritation, and blurred vision. Use this guide to find out how to avoid it.

How to Prevent Dry Eye

1. Reduce Glare

Excessive light and glare will strain your eyes, which provokes dry eye. Although working at the computer with natural light is ideal, you should minimize glare by covering windows with sheer curtains and positioning the screen away from the light.

Reduce the screen’s brightness and contrast and increase the text size to avoid straining your eyes. You can also apply an anti-glare film on the screen and wear blue light glasses to reduce glare further.

2. Take Breaks

Practice the 20-20-20 eye care rule: every 20 minutes, turn away from the screen, and look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This task helps eye muscles relax, so they don’t become strained and lead to dry eye.

You should also take five minutes to walk away from the computer and stretch. During these breaks, help your eyes stay focused by looking at a distant object for 10 to 15 seconds then do the same with a different item nearby.

3. Moisturize

People looking at a digital screen blink less, especially when they’re focused. However, blinking is essential for keeping the eyes moisturized and deterring dry eye. Throughout the day, take a few seconds to blink deliberately.

Apply artificial tears to supplement blinking. This eye care product alleviates dry eye symptoms and encourages natural tear production, so the condition is less likely to occur.

If you have dry eye from overusing your digital devices during the quarantine, turn to Kato & Shoji Optometrists in Honolulu, HI. These professionals provide reliable and effective eye care treatments to patients of all ages across Oahu. They’ll help you alleviate the discomfort and provide additional tips to prevent the issue from recurring. To get more information about their services, visit them online or call (808) 735-8080.