Sixty-five percent of Americans report having symptoms of digital eyestrain. And it’s no wonder. Almost 60 percent of us use digital devices for more than five hours a day, and 70 percent of use more than two devices at a time.
These startling figures come from The Vision Council’s report, Eyes Overexposed: The Digital Device Dilemma. The report also found that despite the fact than 90 percent of us use digital devices for more than two hours a day, most of us don’t talk to our eye doctors about our digital device use.
“With the popularity of computers in the workplace and increased usage of smartphones and TVs, it has become more and more common to see patients with numerous eye complaints attributed to their computer monitors,” Cary M. Silverman, M.D., founder of EyeCare 20/20, told Care2.
“There is no evidence that working on a computer can cause permanent damage to the eye, either from radiation or eyestrain,” he said. “Most ocular complaints are due to other factors such as seating, head position, location of terminal, reflections, lighting, and the quality of the display images.”
Here are some tips on how to help your eyes recover from staring at screens:
1.Don’t Forget to Blink! Follow the 20-20-20 Rule
You don’t give much thought to blinking. Your eyes seem to know what to do. However, when you stare at a screen for long periods, you probably don’t realize you’re not blinking as often as you should. That can lead to dry, irritated eyes. Think: blink. And follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
2. Keep Your Distance and Adjust Accordingly
Dr. Justin Bazan, a medical advisor to The Vision Council, offers these tips:
Don’t get too close to the computer screen. When the text on a screen is too small, we tend to lean forward towards the screen, putting extra strain on our neck and back. It is ideal to sit an arm’s-length away from the computer screen, and to help out your vision by making the text larger. It can also be useful to wear computer lenses that have a special boost for the mid-distance range of the screen.
