The Rise Of Digital Eye Strain: How To Protect Your Vision In The Digital Age
As technology advances, the digital world is becoming more and more integrated in our everyday lives. From laptops to smartphones, digital devices are always just an arm’s reach away. But all of this extra screen time comes with a downside: the rise of digital eye strain.
Beyond physical fatigue, staring at screens can also affect vision quality over time, making it important for everyone to take preventative measures and protect their eyesight.
Read on as we delve deeper into why digital eye strain happens and how it manifests, and discuss key steps that you can take to maintain your vision health in a digital age.
What Are The Symptoms Of Digital Eye Strain
Some of the main symptoms of digital eye strain include:
- Headaches: Digital eye strain can cause headaches due to the intense concentration associated with staring at a screen. This type of headache is usually localized around the forehead and temples.
- Blurred Vision: Focusing on a screen for an extended period of time can lead to blurred vision. People might experience difficulty transitioning from looking at objects up close to viewing objects at a distance.
- Dry Eye: When we stare at digital screens for prolonged periods of time, we tend to blink less often, which can lead to having dry eyes due to a decrease in tear production and distribution.
- Eye Fatigue: Working long hours in front of a screen forces the eyes to constantly focus and refocus to maintain a clear image. This repeated focusing can strain the eye muscles, causing them to become fatigued and sore.
- Neck Pain & Shoulder Tension: People often tend to keep their heads forward and down when using devices such as phones or computers, resulting in neck and shoulder tension which can lead to pain in those areas if left unchecked.
How To Prevent Digital Eye Strain
To prevent digital eye strain, it is important to manage the time spent in front of screens, especially for long periods. Every 20 minutes or so, take a 10-20 second break away from the screen and focus on something else in the room.
It is also important to adjust screen brightness and contrast to comfortable levels for your eyes as too much light can cause eyestrain.
Maintaining proper screen distance and height is key as well. The ideal distance between you and your device should be about an arm’s length away, and the top of most computer monitors should line up with your eyes when you are seated.
Additionally, consider using specialized glasses or screen filters that are designed to reduce blue light emissions from screens. These may help reduce glare, improve contrast and improve focusing issues caused by digital devices.
The Importance Of Regular Eye Exams
If you are experiencing any symptoms associated with digital eye strain such as headaches or blurred vision, visit your ophthalmologist right away for treatment options and advice on how to prevent further issues with your eyesight due to technology use.
At the same time, getting regular eye exams with your eye-doctor is essential for maintaining healthy vision and reducing the risk of more serious vision problems. By getting an eye exam, you can detect any issues early on before they become more severe.
During the exam, the ophthalmologist will check your vision acuity and refractive error, as well as your peripheral vision, eye pressure, and color perception. They will also look for signs of cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration.
Lastly, comprehensive eye exams don’t just detect existing problems – they can also spot diseases like diabetes or hypertension which have no symptoms but can damage your eyesight over time if not managed properly.
For all these reasons, it’s important to stay up-to-date with regular eye exams with a trusted ophthalmologist to ensure that your eyes stay healthy now and in the future.