The average worker spends seven hours a day on the computer for work purposes. In many cases, one or more of these hours is spent on a smartphone or tablet. Screens are so engrained in our society that there is an umbrella term for eye issues caused by excessive exposure.
Computer vision syndrome involves two main concerns for people who spend most of their days in front of a screen: dry eyes and eyestrain. Dr. Raymond Stein and our eye doctors at Bochner Eye Institute explain what causes these screen issues and how to prevent them.
Dry Eyes Caused by Screen Use
Whether you work with images or text, your eyes are overwhelmed by the stimulating screen in front of you, and you forget to blink. The average blinking rate goes from 15 times per minute to just five to seven during computer usage. Your eye’s surface depends on a thin layer of liquid to protect it that is replenished by blinking. A lower blinking rate leads to dry eyes.
Digital Eye Strain
There could be a few culprits behind digital eye strain — one being the glare or brightness emanating from the screen, and the other that your prescription is out of date. People who don’t use reading glasses when they need them or need a new contact lens or glasses prescription have a harder time focusing on the text or images on a screen. Research suggests this is because the screen uses pixels with blurry edges unlike a piece of paper or book with defined print.
Tips to Prevent Computer Vision Syndrome
Computer vision syndrome symptoms may involve headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, dry eyes and neck and shoulder pain. These concerns are often caused by a combination of issues associated with long-term computer use, such as poor lighting, inadequate viewing distance and uncorrected vision. Luckily, the symptoms are temporary, and there are several ways to alleviate and prevent computer vision syndrome including:
- Regular eye exams to adjust your prescription if necessary and look for early signs of eye disease.
- Sit two feet away from the computer screen.
- Center the computer monitor lower than your eye level, approximately 20 degrees from the center of the screen.
- Use a screen filter to decrease the glare on your computer, smartphone or tablet.
- Adjust the settings for a larger font to reduce eye strain.
- Switch your office light bulbs out for softer, low-wattage bulbs to help screen glare.
- Use the 20/20/20 Rule: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away.
- Rest your eyes for 15 minutes for every two hours of computer use.
- Use glasses with special tints to reduce screen glare and blue light exposure.
- Talk to our eye doctors about eye drops and other options for computer vision syndrome.
Schedule an Eye Exam
If you’re experiencing signs of computer vision syndrome, call or email our team at Bochner Eye Institute in Toronto to schedule your eye exam today.