Combat Digital Eye Strain: 10 Essential Tips for Screen-Savvy Brits
Staring at Screens All Day? Your Eyes Are Paying the Price
In today’s digital world, it’s easy to spend 12+ hours glued to screens, whether it’s for work or leisure. But our eyes weren’t designed for this constant bombardment of artificial light. It’s no wonder that millions of Brits are grappling with eye problems.
But just how harmful is that screen glare? And what can we do to protect our precious vision, especially when our jobs demand so much screen time?
Let’s delve into the issue of digital eye strain and explore 10 practical ways to shield your eyes from the harmful effects of your devices.
It’s time to protect your vision!
Understanding Digital Eye Strain
Computer vision syndrome, or digital eye strain, stems from prolonged screen use. The reduced contrast and glare of digital screens compared to print make your eyes work harder, leading to various symptoms: eye strain, blurry vision, dry eyes, headaches, and even neck and back pain.
Struggling with screen time? Look out for these common symptoms of digital eye strain:
- Tired, strained eyes
- Blurry or double vision
- Dry, irritated eyes
- Headaches and difficulty focusing
- Neck, back, and shoulder pain
- Burning or stinging sensation in the eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Eye fatigue and difficulty keeping eyes open
- Redness in the eyes
10 Ways to Safeguard Your Eyes
- 20/20/20 Rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This simple exercise helps relax your eye muscles.
- Proper Lighting: Utilise natural daylight as much as possible during the day, and blue-blocking Healthy Lighting such as CHIRYĹ Sunset or Peace Bulbs when illumination is required to mimic natural light patterns and reduce eye strain.
Artificial Illumination tends to be required in the UK from late afternoon in the winter, and late evening during the summer. - Should your eye strain result in a headache, or a migraine occurs, Avoid Blue, Red or Amber lighting which is known to cause additional discomfort, and use Healthy 520nm Green LED lighting.
- Upgrade Your Monitor: Replace old CRT monitors with flicker-free, high-resolution LED screens for a more comfortable viewing experience. [Study on CRT vs LED monitors]
- Blink More: Consciously blink every 20 minutes to keep your eyes moist and prevent dryness.
- Take Breaks: Get up and move every hour to avoid eye fatigue and muscle tension.
- Optimise Your Workstation: Position your screen correctly and use a document holder to avoid awkward postures and neck strain.
- Screen Protectors: Consider blue-light-blocking screen protectors for your devices to reduce harmful exposure.
- Adjust Screen Brightness: Lower your screen brightness and use night mode on your devices, especially in the evenings.
- Blue Light Blocking Glasses: Invest in specialised glasses to filter out harmful blue light and protect your eyes during extended screen time. Specialist eyewear is available at your local opticians and will usually include a range of blue blocking eyewear.
Take Action Today
Prioritise your eye health and combat digital eye strain with these simple tips. Remember, small changes can make a big difference in the long run!
Ocushield
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Inspired by a better vision of the optical industry, three Australians, Doron Kalinko, David Menning and Tony Zhuang came together to create SmartBuyGlasses in 2006.
