Eye strain
Are you experiencing eye strain on a regular basis? If so, you may need an eye test at your local opticians. Common eye strain causes include reading without a pause, driving for a long time or being exposed to bright lights. Most commonly, if you regularly work on computers, it’s likely your eyes will become sore and eye strain will become more noticeable.
What are the symptoms of eye strain?
Eyestrain usually occurs after focusing on one particular task for an extended period. Some symptoms of eyestrain include:
- Dry, sore, tired eyes
- Watering eyes
- Recurring headaches
- Difficulty reading or focusing on your screen
- Noticeable pain or discomfort in the eyes
- Blurred vision or twitching
What can you do for computer eye strain?
In this digital era, we all put our eyes under constant pressure when we regularly work on computer screens, increasing the risk of eye strain and causing considerable discomfort.
There are ways we can reduce the risk though, here are 5 tips for relieving computer eye strain:
- Consider changing the lighting in your work environment-how is your office lit? If your workplace has harsh lighting and you work on a computer screen, the reflection can cause considerable eye strain. Additionally, your monitor brightness will also have an impact if your office has poor lighting, causing you to intensely focus on your screen. Blinds or curtains will make a difference to excessive sunlight, but you could also consider an anti-glare cover over the screen.
- Take a break – taking five or ten minutes away from your screen will be beneficial for your eyes. If you can’t get away, start practising the 20-20-20 rule, so every 20 minutes, you stare at an object 20 feet (around 6 meters) away, for 20 seconds.
- Adjust the height of your monitor (or your desk chair)– the screen should be about an arm’s length away, and the top of the screen should be at or just below eye level.
- Adjust your type size for easier reading – use your screen settings to enlarge the typeface and adapt the contrast and brightness to levels that suit you.
- Have regular eye tests – make sure you are monitoring your eye health with regular eye tests. Your optometrist will be able to offer advice when it comes to eye care and can monitor your eyes for any signs of potential problems. They will also provide guidance when it comes to the best way to look after your eyes, as well as what lenses are right for you.
Eye strain is generally not dangerous and goes away once you rest your eyes. Though you may not be able to change how much time you spend in front of the screen, you can take an eye test to assess your medical conditions, take some moments to relax, and take some steps to reduce discomfort.
How do I get help for eye strain?
If you have noticed anything different with your eyesight or if you are experiencing any eye strain symptoms listed above, it’s advised you speak to your optician.
At Scrivens, our Optometrists are always ready to help you, perform a comprehensive eye exam, advise you on how to reduce eye strain and check the health of your eyes.
Find your nearest Scrivens branch and speak to a member of our team who will assist with any concerns you may have.
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