How to Prevent Digital Eye Strain

Learn about how to prevent digital eye strain.

It is no secret that a lot of us are on a computer for many hours each day. Fortunately, technology provides us with the convenience to work from the comfort of our own home, but it can also be difficult because spending such a long time staring at a screen can lead to eye strain.

Why Do Screens Cause Eye Strain?
Normally, we blink about 15-20 times per minute, which keeps our eyes from getting dry and irritated. However, researchers have found that we blink less often when we are staring at a screen for hours: The glare, the contrast of the background and the text you might be reading for a work project, and the flickering of the screen can all be very hard on your eyes.
Wear Blue Light Glasses

To be completely honest, the research is still mixed when it comes to blue light glasses and their actual effectiveness. That said, many people who use them regularly believe they improved their sleep and helped with eye strain. Some experts are adamant that they work, while others are more skeptical. In any case, they don't do any harm.

Take 15 Minute Breaks Every 2 Hours

It's important to take fifteen-minute breaks after every two hours behind your computer if that is a possibility for you because this can certainly reduce eye strain.

20 / 20 / 20 Rule

It actually helps to look at an object that is at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes. It's a subtle way to drastically reduce eye strain.

Change The Brightness of Your Screen

It will likely serve you well to change the brightness on your computer screen to match your surroundings. It shouldn't be lighter or darker than your surroundings if you do not want to experience eye strain.

Eye strain is a very real problem that can often result from spending hours on end on your technological devices. Unfortunately, this is nearly unavoidable for many of us because we have to spend a certain amount of time on our computers to meet our professional goals. That being said, it's quite possible to alleviate this problem by implementing some self-care practices during your workday.

Lower The Color Temperature Of Your Screen

Eye strain is most linked to blue light, so lowering the color temperature will likely help.

Raise Your Device's Refresh Rate

Sometimes a screen can keep flickering, which will likely lead to eye strain. If that is the case, you can raise your device's refresh rate to solve this issue and alleviate symptoms.

Make The Text Larger

Sometimes reading relatively small text on a computer screen can contribute to eye strain, so enlarging it might help you feel more relaxed as you are doing your research. Please contact us for more information. We are eager to assist you in every way we can!