Digital Eye Strain | Orchard Park Optometry

Convenience Doesn’t Mean Sacrificing Comfort

Digital devices are everywhere these days. We use smartphones to order food, gaming consoles to entertain ourselves, computers to work, and televisions to relax—or any mixing and matching of the aforementioned activities.

Screens are not only convenient but hard to get away from. Sometimes, too much screen time can cause eye strain. We call it digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome.

If you experience any eye strain while using your computer or other digital devices, be sure to book an appointment to discuss it. We will assess your eyes and rule out more serious conditions.

During your appointment, we’ll ask questions about your lifestyle to get a sense of how often you’re in front of a screen. We will provide you with some mitigation strategies and help you get back to using your technology safely and comfortably.

Book your appointment to discuss digital eye strain today!

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Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain

If you experience any pain in your eyes at any time, you should make an appointment to ensure there is nothing serious occurring. Symptoms of digital eye strain can include:

Sore eyes
Tired eyes
Blurry vision
Double vision
Headaches
Sore shoulders or back
Light sensitivity

Mitigation Techniques

As a general rule, when you stop using screens, your discomfort from digital eye strain will resolve. But, screen time stoppage is unlikely to be a feasible long-term solution. If you’d like to mitigate your digital eye strain, here are a few tips.

Office Ergonomics

Setting up your office ergonomically can help alleviate your symptoms. Office ergonomics help you keep proper posture, decreasing discomfort in your back and neck. Some ergonomic advice includes:

Sit upright with feet flat on the floor
Avoid rounded or hunched shoulders
Align your neck with your torso
Keep devices at eye level
Keep keyboard and mouse close enough to prevent reaching

Settings

Your device settings should be configured to minimize squinting. Increasing your font size should help, as should setting your screen’s contrast and colour tones in a way that is comfortable to look at.

Lighting

Leverage lighting to minimize eye discomfort. Keep the lighting in the room around you similar to the lighting level of your device.

Glare can contribute to eye strain, so either invest in an anti-glare screen or glasses with an anti-reflective coating. The lighting in your workspace should also be pointed in a direction that prevents glare spots on the screen.

The 20-20-20 Rule

Taking a break every now and again can help your eyes refocus. Follow the 20-20-20 rule—every 20 minutes, take a look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.