The number of people using laptops and phones has increased over the years. They are also spending more time on these gadgets than before. Even children because of their online classes and online learning are experiencing eye strain. We believe that Covid outbreak only accelerated the shift to these gadgets.
Eye Strain is a feeling of fatigue or heaviness in our eyes. Headaches and redness of the eyes could be a part of this feeling. People often agree to feeling better when their eyes are closed for some time.
Eye strain can present in many ways. Some of these are also dry eye symptoms also known as computer vision syndrome
When we look at the screen all of us tend to stare at the screen and our blink rate drops significantly. This reduced blink rate leads to dryness of the eyes.
It’s important to take frequent breaks when on the screen. One way is to take a break every 20 min for 20 seconds and to look 20 feet away at that time. Looking far away, during this 20-second break relaxes the eye muscles (Ciliary muscle) which are working hard so that you can see things clearly. By looking far you give those muscles a break.
Presbyopia is a condition in which one needs to wear reading glasses. Usually, this starts after 40-42 years of age. Some strain their eyes to avoid wearing glasses and this strain can lead to significant discomfort. Here one has three options. Separate distance and reading glasses, Bifocals, or progressive lenses.
When younger individuals have a small number and can manage to see things clearly without glasses they continue to do so. This continuous attempt to read while not wearing glasses leads to eye headaches and even blurred vision. These days most of these spectacles have anti-glare glasses.
The brightness of the screen should be such that you are able to comfortably see the screen. Avoid changing the screen settings to make the screen brighter than that.
For those spending long hours on laptops and mobile devices, blue-light blocking glasses could be worn. Blue light is present everywhere. Even sunlight has a blue light. Digital devices emit blue lights too. This light is known to reduce our melatonin levels which in turn affects sleep. Wearing blue-blocking lenses may thus improve the quality of sleep.
All of us know this already and it has become very difficult to reduce the time spent on electronic devices. However, the only way this condition will be reduced is by reducing screen time to some extent.
Extended periods of contact lens wear can lead to eye strain or symptoms of dryness. It’s important to remove contact lenses after 7-8 hours. Daily disposable lenses can however be worn for longer hours.
It’s important to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Sleep is a highly underrated bio-hack that can supercharge your body and mind. Here one must remember that the quality of sleep is as important as the quantity of sleep. It’s important to have sound sleep or deep sleep for at least 4-5 hours.
When using mobile phones or laptops make sure you are sitting in a comfortable position. Maintaining a correct posture is important. This habit will also avoid neck and shoulder pain that one may experience after spending long hours in front of digital devices.
It’s easiest to read dark text on a light background. Make sure you have a white background or a light color and black text or some other darker colors.
Using certain eye drops would help you feel much better. There are quite a few brands available in the market. These drops are lubricants and coat the front surface of the eyes making the eyes moist.
Most have a habit of looking at their mobile phone before they fall asleep. One way to reduce eye power.
Headaches can have many reasons. Eye strain headaches have a few features
Digital Eye Strain is probably one of the most common problems worldwide. Our lifestyles have led to this situation. That being said, one can take the steps mentioned above to reduce eye strain. If taken correctly, people would feel much better while working on their digital screens, especially in the evening, by which time most of us are beginning to feel fatigued. Eye Solutions, one of the top Eye Hospital in Mumbai can help you by performing a detailed dry-eye workup and making sure you are wearing the correct glasses. Drops and some other heat therapies may also help reduce eye strain.
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I’m blown away by the quality of your content. It’s evident that you’ve done thorough research.
Thank you for sharing this insightful and informative blog post. I found the information you presented to be valuable and the explanations to be easy to understand.