Everyone seems to be staring at a screen these days. The stress it puts on your eyes can cause digital eye strain (DES) or computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms include eye fatigue, dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, red eyes, and eye twitching.

How to Protect Your Eyes While You Work

1. See Your Eye Doctor for a Comprehensive Eye Exam

This is one of the most important things you can do to prevent or treat symptoms associated with computer vision syndrome. Make sure to discuss your working habits, including how frequently and how long you use a computer each day. Computer vision syndrome may be exacerbated by underlying dry eye disease, which can be diagnosed and treated at our eye clinic in Kettering.

2. Good Lighting Is Key

Excessively bright light, whether from outdoor sunshine or harsh interior lighting, is a common cause of eyestrain. Your ambient lighting should be about 50% dimmer than what is typically found in most offices.

3. Minimize Glare

Eyestrain can be aggravated by glare from light reflecting off surfaces including your computer screen. Consider installing an anti-glare screen on your display and get anti-reflective coating on your lenses.

4. Upgrade Your Display

If you have an older CRT screen, consider replacing it with a flat-panel LED screen. Choose one with a diagonal screen size of at least 19 inches and the highest resolution possible.

5. Adjust Display Settings

Adjust brightness, text size, and color temperature for maximum eye comfort. Blue light tends to cause eye fatigue; warmer tones may be better for long-term viewing, especially at night.

6. Get Computer Glasses

Nearly 70% of North Americans experience digital eye strain from prolonged use of electronic devices. Ask the team at Dayton Optometric Center for customized computer glasses with lenses that filter out blue light.

7. Don't Forget to Blink

When staring at a digital device, people tend to blink up to 66% less often. Make a conscious effort to blink more while working to prevent dryness and irritation.

8. Exercise Your Eyes

Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This helps relax the eyes' focusing muscles and reduce computer vision syndrome.

Contact Dayton Optometric Center in Kettering, Ohio to learn how eye drops, exercises, computer glasses, or AR coatings can improve your eye comfort. Call us at (937) 228-2020.