CustomEyes
  • Services
    • What We Do
    • Insurance
    • Order Contacts
  • 8 Locations
    • View Locations
    • Doctors
  • Eyewear
  • Blog
  • Services
    • What We Do
    • Insurance
    • Order Contacts
  • 8 Locations
    • View Locations
    • Doctors
  • Eyewear
  • Blog
Book Appointment

Lifestyle

Do You Often Use Digital Screens? Here Are 10 Useful Tips to Relieve Eye Strain

June 16, 2022

Woman wearing glasses in front of a computer

Do you ever feel like your eyes are dry, tired, twitching or red and irritated after using your computer or another digital device? This is what we call eye strain. Researchers estimate that at this day and age, we tend to spend up to seven hours per day staring at a screen, which is tiring for our eyes. In most cases, eye strain is only temporary and disappears quickly, and there are also many ways you can give your eyes a break and get some relief.

What are the symptoms of eye strain?

  • Eye fatigue and discomfort
  • Dry eyes
  • Headaches
  • Blurred vision
  • Red, irritated eyes
  • Eye twitching
  • Neck and shoulder pain
  • Increased sensitivity to light

[adrotate group=”2″]

How to relieve eye strain?

Rest your eyes

When it comes to tasks that require intense focus, it’s important to give your eyes adequate rest. If you’re spending a whole day using a computer for instance, your eyes are working hard. Make sure to give them a rest from close-up, focused work. Go for a walk, close your eyes for a bit, and at the end of the day, choose an audiobook, a podcast or spend time with family and friends instead of watching TV.

Keep a distance

While sitting closer to your computer may feel more comfortable, in reality, your eyes have to work harder to focus. Therefore, keeping a safe distance can help your eye muscles relax, which can prevent eye strain. It’s recommended to sit about 25 inches, or an arm’s length, away from your screen and have it positioned in a way that your eyes look slightly downward at it.

Remember the 20-20-20 rule

Every 20 minutes, look away from your screen and focus on something that is 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Your eyes will thank you as this gives them a chance to relax their focusing muscles and get a break.

Use proper lighting

Eye strain is often caused by excessively bright light either from outdoor sunlight coming in through a window or from harsh interior lighting. The worst problems are generally from sources above or behind you, including fluorescent lighting and sunlight. Consider turning off some or all of the overhead lights, lowering their intensity and closing the drapes. Also, if possible, position your computer screen so windows are to the side, instead of in front or behind it.

Minimize glare

Glare from light reflecting off walls and finished surfaces, as well as reflections on your computer screen can also cause computer eye strain. Consider installing an anti-glare screen on your display and, if possible, don’t put your screen in front of a bright-colored or plain white wall.

[adrotate group=”3″]

Adjust your computer display settings

Adjusting the display settings of your computer can help reduce eye strain and fatigue. Try these settings:

  • Brightness. Adjust the brightness of the display so it’s approximately the same as the brightness of your surrounding workstation.
  • Text size and contrast. Adjust the text size and contrast for comfort, especially when reading or composing long documents. Usually, black print on a white background is the best combination for comfort.
  • Color temperature. Reducing the color temperature of your display lowers the amount of blue light emitted by a color display for better long-term viewing comfort.

Keep your environment comfortable

Your eyes can be affected by the environment around you. Air conditioning, indoor heating or a fan blowing onto your eyes can all impact your eyes’ comfort. Office environments with low humidity and indoor air pollution may increase the risk of dry eyes or digital eye strain. Avoid working with a fan or heater aimed towards your face. You can also keep a humidifier nearby to reduce the risk of dry eyes.

Blink often to refresh your eyes

When staring at a screen, we tend to blink less frequently and less fully, which can contribute to dry eye and eye strain. As blinking produces tears that moisten and refresh your eyes, try to make it a habit to blink more often when looking at a monitor. You can even use artificial tears to keep your eyes lubricated.

Try blue light filters

Blue light is all around us; it’s produced by the sun, artificial lights and by our digital device screens. While it has many benefits, it has also been linked to macular degeneration and can interfere with your sleep patterns. For a bit of extra protection against blue light, ask your optometrist if there’s a blue light lens or coating that’s right for you. Note that you can also wear non-prescription blue-light glasses.

Get a comprehensive eye exam

The best thing you can do for your eyes is to have a comprehensive eye exam every year. This can not only help you keep your vision healthy but can also warn you about other health issues you may have. During your exam, be sure to tell your eye doctor about any vision issues you may experience, as well as about how often you use a computer and digital devices at work and at home. Book an appointment now for an eye exam!


CustomEyes

We are your local eye care company that has been operating in Chicago since 2003. Our goal is to always provide you with the best possible solution for your unique needs, and make you feel as comfortable as possible.

Book an Appointment Today and Find a Pair of Glasses You'll Love!

We have eight locations across Chicago, so no matter where you are a CustomEyes is nearby!

Book Appointment

[email protected]

Contact us
Book Appointment

Locations

Evanston

LaSalle

Ogilvie

River North

Roscoe Village

Southport

Broadway

Logan Square

All Locations

Quick Links

Services

Eyewear

Order Contacts

Doctors

Insurance

Site Map

Terms of Use // Copyright 2021

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Accept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
gf-completion-61 monthForm completion with ID #6
gf-completion-81 monthForm completion with ID #8
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo