Tips to Relieve Digital Eye Strain

Tips to Relieve Digital Eye Strain

We may as well get this out of the way: yes, we recognize the irony of suggesting ways to relieve digital eye strain via a digital form of communication. We get it.

But that’s simply the nature of the world we live in: people today average over 10 hours of digital device time daily.

Digital eye strain is a condition caused by – you guessed it – spending too much time glued to electronic screens. Eye strain from screen-staring can lead to more prominent health problems such as headaches, blurred vision, tired eyes, eye irritation, double vision, and excessive blinking.

Related: Is Your Smartphone Aging Your Face Prematurely?

One way to relieve digital eye strain can come in the form of anti-fatigue eye lenses.

“There are special glasses you could get called anti-fatigues, and what they do is they have your prescription on the top and a little boost at the bottom specifically for computer and handheld devices,” optometrist Dr. Theresa Taylor told CTV Calgary.

The blue light from LED screens and accompanying light fixtures all contribute to digital eye strain, too.

Luckily, there’s a specific form of relief for that – eyeglasses with special lenses that filter out blue light, keeping eyes from getting red and itchy.

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“Ever since I have been using these, which is now three years, the whites of my eyes are not red anymore,” says CTV News Calgary editor Mira Sandrik.

Simple exercises can provide relief, too. There’s one Dr. Taylor calls the ‘20-20-20 rule’; for every 20 minutes of dedicated screen time, you should look away and focus on something else, 20 feet away, for 20 minutes.

Even how you position yourself at the computer can affect your eyes.

“What I usually tell people is that your eyes are the most relaxed when they’re slightly pointing down,” Taylor said. “So if you’re at your desk, your eyes should be flush with the top of the screen.”

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