Working long hours on a computer and spending hours at a time browsing through Instagram on your smartphone is likely to make your eyes grow tired and cause digital eye strain. Digital eye strain is dangerous in the long run as it causes individuals to have blurred vision, headaches, and dry eyes.
Extended periods of eye strain with no relief may even lead to most individuals developing cataracts at a young age. Hence, while we may not be able to limit our screen time due to work commitments, we must have worthwhile measures to reduce the effects of digital eye strain. Given below are five remedial measures that you should be paying attention to:
1. Use blue light glasses
The main way how extended screen usage affects your eye is through your exposure to blue light being emitted from digital screens. This blue light tends to damage cells in your retina and may even lead to age-related macular degeneration. Hence, one should use Blue Light Glasses to counter the effects of harmful blue light. While purchasing these glasses be sure to do so from a trusted vendor such as Vision Direct.
2. Follow the 20/20/20 rule
According to the 20/20/20 rule, which is a basic yet effective way of protecting your eyes from digital strain, for every twenty minutes that you engage in looking at a screen, look away for twenty seconds at a point that is twenty feet away from you. This essentially gives your eyes a cut-off and a break from exposure to a screen and helps your eyes relax for a bit before you begin working again.
3. Only use high-resolution digital screens
Whether this screen in question is that of your computer, laptop, or mobile phone, be sure to only use high-resolution devices. This is because high-resolution devices allow you to see all pixels and do not require you to place additional strain on your eyes while making out what is in front of you. The most popular high-resolution screens these days operate at 75Hz or even more.
4. Adjust glare and lighting
Irrespective of whether you are at home or in the office, be sure to use digital devices in a room or space that is appropriately lit. Contrary to popular opinion, less light in your surroundings is better when you are using a digital device. Hence, ensure that the lights in your room are warm and use low voltages. You should also make an effort to engage in using anti-glare screens for your computer, laptop, and mobile device.
5. Visit the doctor for an eye exam
To be ahead of your eye health, you should make an effort to regularly appear for eye exams at your doctor’s office. If you wear glasses, your doctor would be able to prescribe any changes in your eye glasses as and when needed, and if you need to wear glasses for the first time in your life, your doctor would be able to help you diagnose that too. An eye doctor would also be able to guide you as to whether your eye health is improving or deteriorating, which would signify whether your remedial measures are working or not.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned measures are crucial to protecting your eyes from the effects of eye strain caused due to exposure to digital screens. If not accounted for promptly, longer exposure to eye strain with no remedial measures can deteriorate your eye health and cause you to require complicated eye surgeries. Prevention is always better than cure and hence you should understand the above measures to protect your eye health from exposure to screens for longer periods.
