Take care of your eyes in a screen-obsessed world!
Discover how excess screen time affects your eyes and what you can do to keep your eyes healthy.
Whether it's due to entertainment, work or social media, our eyes are constantly glued to our devices in our screen-obsessed world, but we hardly ever think about the repercussions that will follow.
Excess exposure to blue light emitted by the digital screens can cause digital eye strain. If you frequently suffer from dry, itchy or watery eyes, constant headaches or blurry vision after long hours of continuous screen time, you might be suffering from Computer Vision syndrome (CVS).
Don’t worry, though! Implementing a few simple habits in your daily life can easily help you find relief from eye strain and maintain eye hygiene.
Curious about how you can protect your eyes from digital strain? Here are 7 simple steps to help you out!
The 20-20-20 rule
It is easy to get stuck in a screen marathon without knowing while you’re binge watching but your eyes need a break. Use the 20-20-20 rule to break the cycle! For every 20 minutes you look at the screen, take a 20 second break and look at something 20 feet away. This is helpful for individuals as it changes the point of focus and helps your eye muscles relax thereby reducing chances of digital strain on eyes.
Blink more often!
While we don’t realize it, we blink less, way less when we’re busy looking at our screens. Blinking is very crucial to our eyes as it helps maintain moisture and keep our eyes comfortable.
So, while you’re working or scrolling for hours, keep in mind to blink at regular intervals to keep your eyes moist and avoid discomfort from computer vision syndrome (CVS).
Adjust your screen settings
Screens are great but they can be a pain to your eyes if not used properly. It is essential to set the brightness of your screen in accordance with your surroundings.
Setting the brightness too high or too low can result in experiencing strain in your eyes. Also, using blue light and night mode filters is highly recommended as it limits the blue light exposure to your eyes, very helpful especially in low-light environments.
Keep your distance
It is essential to maintain a comfortable viewing distance, preferably an arm’s length to avoid strain on the eyes. While it is very tempting to keep your mobile phones close to your face, such close exposure to blue light is harmful for your eyes.
Hence it is recommended to position yourself at an arm’s length distance to maintain eye comfort and to avoid any neck or back issues.
Take breaks from screen
Taking breaks at intervals is essential, not just for your eyes but for your body as well. Your eyes aren’t the only part of your body that requires rest. Stretching in between tasks can boost circulation in your body and help ease tension.
Taking breaks not only helps in easing tension in your eyes but also benefits your body health and improves productivity.
Use artificial tears
If you experience dry or itchy eyes for long periods, you can consider using artificial tear drops. These eye drops can help retain moisture in the eyes and reduce itchy sensation which is essentially caused by dryness.
These eye drops are also useful in treating discomfort from Computer vision syndrome as they provide relief from strain.
Blue light glasses
If you’re experiencing symptoms of blue light strain for a long period of time even after implementing the above remedies, it is high time you start thinking about using blue light glasses.
These glasses are designed to filter out the harmful blue light to a great extent to protect your eyes, reducing the risks of eye fatigue and digital strain. You can consider consulting an eye specialist for screen time and take an eye examination to know which glasses suit you the best
