It often happens that, while you’re working on your computer, you have to pause because your eyes hurt. They feel itchy, tired, and watery, and it forces you to take a break. That is called eye strain.
Now that people spend most of their time behind screens, eye strain is becoming more common. It’s often accompanied by an annoying headache too. Fortunately, there are ways to protect your eyes and reduce eye strain. Here’s are the top things you can do for that purpose:
- Adjust Lighting
Excessive lighting is one cause behind eye strain. This light can come from the afternoon sun, your screen brightness, or fluorescent lighting. To shield from the sun, you can lower curtains or blinds r if it’s too bright. If your office has direct exposure to fluorescent lighting, consider changing your position, turning off the lights, or replacing them with indirect LED lights instead. Dim lighting isn’t always good either. They will make you squint to see well, which causes eye strain. Make sure the lighting is bright enough for you to see well, but not so much that it hurts your eyes. Consider talking to your colleagues and discussing the best lighting options for the office. Then you can take the suggestions to your managers to make the office eye-friendly.
- Try Bluelight Glasses
Blue lights have been linked to eye strain. Ophthalmologists recommend using any kind of blue light reduction, especially if you spend more than 6 hours in front of a screen. On this website, they explain how blue light glasses disrupt our natural rhythm, our sleep, and can cause eye strain. There are different types of blue light glasses on the market, each for a different purpose. Shop online and pick the one suitable for you.
- Adjust Screen
As mentioned, and as it is known, computer screens are directly responsible for eye strain. You can make some adjustments to reduce their harm. First off, place your screen 20 to 26 inches from where you are. And place your screen away from the sun, but not opposite to it, to reduce glare. Another way to reduce glare is to get a laptop with an anti-glare screen. Or get an anti-glare shield or screen filter for your screen. You can also upgrade your screen altogether, as there are new computer screens made specifically to protect our eyes. Additionally, it will help to reduce the brightness of your screen to a setting your eyes are comfortable with.
- Take a Break from Your Screen
You usually get caught up staring at your screen and don’t know when to stop. That is until your eyes start to hurt and feel sore. There’s a rule of thumb for this called the 20-20-20 rule.
Basically, after 20 minutes of staring at your screen, you look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. During the 20 seconds, your eyes will relax completely. You can set a reminder through your computer or mobile apps to alert you that it’s time to take a break. You need to take a break of at least 10 minutes after looking at your screen for an hour.
- Blink More
Research shows that we blink one-third of the time we’re supposed to when we’re looking at a computer screen. That causes all the symptoms of eye strain. When you blink, your eyes are moistened, which prevents dryness and irritation. The moisture, also known as tears, evaporates quickly, causing the dryness. Remember the 20-20-20 rule? You can also make sure to blink ten times every 20 minutes to make your eyes wet again.
- Use Lubricating Drops
Also called artificial tears, lubricating drops, which can either be over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription, help keep eyes from getting dry. The OTC types work as a supplement for your natural tears to make eyes more comfortable and moist. If OTC eye drops don’t work well for you, consider visiting a doctor to be prescribed the right type.
Getting rid of eye strain is easy if you make some adjustments to shield your eyes. Your biggest enemy is excessive brightness, dimness, glare, and blue lights. Adjust the brightness and shield against the glare and blue light, and you’re good to go. Remember the rule, ‘too much of anything is bad,’ and apply it when it comes to screen time. Remember to take breaks from your screen frequently and to blink more often. Use lubricating drops to help your eyes produce moisturizing tears. If you still have eye problems, consider paying a visit to a doctor.
