As you sit at your desk all day and night working hard to get your duties done, we feel strain on our bodies and complain of body aches and headaches. We also feel tired and can’t focus on our work at times, and with recent modifications in lifestyle there has been a spike in complaints related to our eyes.
The eyes, that let us be witness to the extravagant colors of the world have come under stress. The prolonged use of computers and staring deep into the light coming out of them has led to this problem.
Computer eye strain may not be of concern initially but with time the effects it causes cannot be ignored.
Let’s talk about the changes that occur in our eyes as we read this article to understand the symptoms of Computer eye strain:
- The eyes have to change its structure to be able to focus on what you are reading or looking at, with increased time frame the ability to focus and refocus puts a strain on them.
- Furthermore, computer screens have various contrast and brightness settings that may require adjustments. With issues that come up from these settings like glare, flicker issues etc. They further aggravate the tension.
- As we look into our computer screens, our posture and angle that we look at changes, this change can take a toll on our normal functioning of the eyes.
All these causes can lead to weakening of our eyes, blurred vision, dry eyes, headache due to shifts from angles and in extreme cases it can even cause redness of the eyes.
With all this said and done, you may feel anxious to know how to take care of your eyes from computer screens.
Let’s go through the many ways we can do this –
- 20/20/20 rule: The eyes are the same as your muscles that need rest when overworked. To help reduce the strain by simply following this rule that says, for every 20 minutes you look at a computer screen, you should shift your gaze to an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It helps relax your eyes and lets you catch a breath of air from work. Try this Eye Break Reminder app.
- Ambient lighting: The basic functioning of your eyes depends on the reflection of light. We assume that the brighter the room the better, but in counter to that a low-lit room is better for your eyes as you immerse into computer screens. Using low wattage light bulbs, reducing the usage of florescent lights and closing the curtains are a few of the many ways you can do this.
- Reduction of glare: The ability of our eyes to focus is drastically affected by glare, this increases a lot of stress on our eyes by making it difficult for them to adjust. The simple solution for this is use of anti glare glasses or use of anti glare matte screens.
- Regular eye examination: When was the last time you visited the ophthalmologist? Regular eye checkups are highly recommended to follow up on any problems that may arise.
- Reduce blue light: Computer screens and mobile phones give out short wavelength blue light that can damage the retina which can in-turn lead to worsening of vision. The best way to do this would be wearing specialized glasses that prevent blue light from entering the eyes. The color temperature of your screen can also be adjusted to help reduce blue light and keeping your eyes healthy.
- Higher the resolution = lower the strain: It takes a great deal of effort to focus our eyes and with poor resolution it becomes difficult to do so, but with the increased quality of resolution it helps ease out the strain. The better the clarity the better are your eyes. If you are feeling eye strain know How to relieve eye strain.
- Frequent breaks: We need to let some steam out when we have worked hard for a long time, similarly the eyes also need some time to rest. Give them ample time for relaxation, to regain focus and readjust. This can help reduce headaches and eye strain.
- Adjust the display settings to your comfort: The level brightness, contrast, text size and color temperature should be set to your comfort zone. While adjusting the settings note that – Brightness of your screen needs to match the brightness of your environment. Text size should be visible to you without straining your eyes or sit too close to the screen.
- Blink more: When you blink your eyes undergo rehydration, the tears you produce are used to lubricate your eye surface. This helps in preventing drying of your eyes.
- Eye drops: If your eyes feel dry often then consulting an ophthalmologist and usage of eye drops are highly recommended to bring symptomatic relief.
Follow these tips to keep your eyes safe and take care of your eyes the right way to gaze upon the wonders of the world through the windows of space and time. You need to keep in mind that just the tips alone are not enough, remember to maintain a healthy diet and vitamins to give an optimal and thorough care.
A young mind in struggle to achieve higher ground and witness the wonders of the world with my inner self. In pursuit of a passion to be a surgeon one day in the distant future.
Leave a Reply