How to Treat Digital Eye Strain
In the digital world we live in today, eye strain is among the most common health problems people are dealing with. Given that most of our careers have shifted digitally, we spend eight hours or even more in front of our computer screens and gadgets.
As a result, this affects our eye health entirely. If you haven’t visited an eye specialist lately, it’s integral for your health to do so, not just to check your vision but also any underlying medical problems.
In the following, we’ll discuss how you can treat your digital eye strain.
1. Maintain adequate distance
Distance is an essential factor in minimizing any eye strain you’re experiencing. Based on the American Academy of Ophthalmology, you should maintain a distance of 25 inches between your eyes and your gadget.
The bigger your device is, such as a TV or a big monitor, the farther you should distance yourself. Otherwise, you will not only regularly get eye strain but also headache and blurred vision.
Part of your self-care should be ensuring there’s enough distance between you and emitted blue light. Almost all blue light damages your eyes by going straight to the back of your retina.
Significant research has proven that high exposure to blue light through gadgets can cause permanent vision damage. This can even lead to eye conditions like astigmatism and macular degeneration, a retina disease.
While your eye is typically equipped to keep out some form of light, unfortunately, this doesn’t include blue light. The sun actually has blue light, which can make you wonder, “Why doesn’t the sun’s radiation damage your eyes the way your digital screens do?”
However, the blue light you get exposed to from any device exceeds the amount you would typically get from the sun. Especially when you use these devices at such a close range, the tendency to impair your vision increases tremendously.
2. Take advantage of blue light filters
One of the ways you can use your gadgets without putting too much strain on your eyes is using blue light filters.
For MacBooks and some laptops, there’s a night light feature that allows you to change the tone of your screen light, ranging from warm to cool tones. This will make reading and basically using it for prolonged hours much more manageable.
Especially if you’re using your phone and laptop practically the entire day, you need to use this feature.
3. Use the 20/20/20 rule
The 20/20/20 rule is a vital rule that several doctors follow. To follow the rule, you need to look at something 20 yards away every 20 minutes for a duration of 20 seconds.
This puts your focus away from the screen and into the object 20 yards away. This is an eye exercise that is often recommended by not just eye specialists but also doctors.
The premise behind this exercise is simple—staring at a screen makes you forget to blink. So, looking away from the screen, even for just 20 seconds, helps reduce your exhaustion and eye strain.
4. Adjust your workspace setup
Whether you’re working in an office or you created your own home office in your furnished apartment, your workspace affects your eye health too.
The wrong office chair, table, and accessories can easily make your eye more exhausted than it’s supposed to be. It’s essential to have an ergonomic setup that allows your eyes to meet your screen at eye level.
Otherwise, this will result in both back pain and eye strain. It’s also recommended to get upholstery furniture or office chairs that have either mesh or leather seats.
If none of these work, you can always take advantage of co-working spaces that allow you to focus better and have an ideal working environment, reducing your tendency for eye strain.
5. Use anti-radiation or prescription glasses
You don’t need to typically have impaired vision to wear glasses, as even individuals with 20/20 vision can benefit from radiation glasses. This protects your eyes from being exposed to the total damage that radiation provides through your gadget screens.
They have advanced vacuum ion plating technology to block electromagnetic radiation, making it perfect for prolonged screen exposure.
If you already have prescription glasses, you can visit your nearest eye clinic and choose to upgrade your glasses with anti-radiation lenses. This ensures that your grade won’t increase through constant exposure, and you get to protect your eyes as well.
Now that you know how to treat digital eye strain, on your next payday, you can buy yourself a pair of anti-radiation glasses or visit your eye doctor for an appointment.
Prevention will always be better than cure, especially when it comes to your eye health. Also, bring your health insurance with you as some eye checkups can be covered by insurance.