It’s easier than you may think to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain. Computer eye strain is a relatively new problem since, after all, computers haven’t been around that long. As the popularity and use of computers increased, scientists began to notice a correlation between eye problems and heavy use of computers and other electronics. Those who want to be proactive and eliminate this problem before it occurs should learn how to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain.
On this page, we will start by informing you of the background information you need to be aware of regarding computer eye strain before we illustrate how to protect your eyes from it. Since there are lots of options to consider, and many different variables to be aware of, it is important to understand all of the facets behind this eye problem, so you can understand fully how to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain.
How to Protect Eyes from Computer Screen Eye Strain: The Ultimate Guide
This article will be a resource for anybody to reference if they need to understand all of the background information behind computer eye strain, and of course, how to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain. Sadly, many people develop and harness advanced symptoms of computer screen eye strain after it is too late. Whether you think that you already have computer eye strain, or simply want to learn the way to protect eyes from developing eye strain in the first place, there is much information for you to understand.
What is Computer Eye Strain?
To put it simply, computer eye strain is a phenomenon where one begins to experience complex eye problems as a result of or during the use of computers. Of course, this is very similar to digital eye strain, which can relate to the eye strain problems that result from all sorts of electronics.
Since computer eye strain is a relatively new problem, scientists and researchers will continue to research and develop new remedies and means of combatting this uncomfortable condition. Regardless, it is important to be aware of the problem so that you can then learn about the various causes, symptoms, and means of treating it.
What Causes Computer Screen Eye Strain?
Although there are many different types of eye strain that can be caused by electronic items like cell phones and e-readers, computers are the main culprit in this case. There are actually many reasons why one can develop computer eye strain.
After all, one can theoretically use a computer every day and not develop computer eye strain symptoms with the right actions. After all, we are now aware that computer eye strain is something that actually results from natural human reactions.
Tears Need to be Bountiful and Spread Out
For starters, one thing that is important to understand if you wish to learn the ways to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain is that your eyes need tears. Crying isn’t the only time that your eyes exert and flush out tears. Additionally, your eyes are constantly producing tears, which need you to blink in order for them to be spread around.
Each time that you blink, each of these droplets of tears that you have produced naturally become spread out around the eye. Your eye absolutely needs these tears in order to stay moist and functional. When tears are not bountiful and wide spread, eye strain can develop.
Staring at a Screen Typically Means that you Blink Less
Another important thing to understand in order to protect eyes from computer screen strain is to limit your time on the computer, and most importantly, control the atmosphere of your work area while you are on the computer. For starters, it’s important to understand the various steps you can take to optimize your computer use while dodging computer eye strain symptoms.
For example, artificial blue light has been demonstrated to cause photoreceptor damage. In other words, there are certain types of lights that you can avoid. Additionally, one could also do blinking exercises, set designated times to relax their eyes, and various other steps, which we will describe below, to avoid computer eye strain symptoms.
Too Much Time on the Computer Can be Dangerous
As a general rule of thumb, the more time that you spend on the computer, especially without taking steps to proactively avoid symptoms, the likelier it is that you will develop computer eye strain. Accordingly, one of the best ways to protect your eyes from computer eye strain is to limit your time on the computer altogether. If you are someone who works on the computer, try to find ways to be more efficient at work and/or use proven methods to stop the problem from developing in the first place.
See Also: Headaches Behind the Eyes
Protect Eyes from Computer Screen: Know the Symptoms
Before you can learn how to protect eyes from computer screen strain, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. Additionally, you need to be sure that you know that your problem is indeed computer eye strain so that you don’t spend your time fighting the wrong problem. Here are some of the symptoms you may notice:
- Itchy eyes
- Burning eyes
- Dry eyes
- Sore eyes
- General eye discomfort
- Blurred or distorted vision
- Higher sensitivity to light
Of course, you may not necessarily notice all of these symptoms if you have computer eye strain. It is possible that your eye strain is caused by another source altogether. This is especially likely for those who don’t spend much time on the computer in the first place.
Protect Eyes from Computer Screen Eye Strain: Proactive Treatments
Ideally, anybody reading this wants to stop computer eye strain problems from developing in the first place. Accordingly, there are various ways that you can protect eyes from computer screen eye strain symptoms before they even develop. Each of the following proactive treatments are for anybody who is just beginning to develop eye strain problems, or wants to take the proper action before it develops in the first place. Each of the following are things to consider before, and in some cases, after computer screen eye strain symptoms develop.
Related: Eye Strain Causes
Reduce Glare on your Computer
One thing that you need to be aware of is the fact that any sort of glare on your computer screen can cause computer eye strain. When your eyes need to spend more energy seeing through a glare, there will be less time reserved for blinking. It will also cause your eye muscles to work out a lot harder than they would need to if you simply got rid of the glare on your computer.
Watch Out for Blue Light Especially
If you haven’t yet gathered this piece of information, it’s important that you look out for artificial LED blue lighting since scientists pointed out that it can cause eye problems. Below, we will discuss some of the methods available at our disposal for reducing or eliminating the intake of blue light by your eye’s retinas. If you reduce or eliminate blue light from entering your eyes, your chances for developing computer eye strain are reduced.
Rearrange your Computer Desk
Rearranging your computer desk can have many benefits if you wish to keep your eyes protected from computer screen eye strain complications. For starters, it can help you reduce the glare, put your computer at a suitable distance away from your eyes, and also help allow your eyes to focus occasionally on things other than your computer screen. As we will illustrate in the treatment options section below, rearranging your desk can imply that you eliminate many of the variables that can contribute to computer eye strain.
Take Routine Blink Breaks
Since many of the problems associated with computer eye strain comes from simply staring for hours at a lit screen, it is important once you are aware of computer eye strain to start making a mental and physical effort to keep your eyes blinking at a healthy level and focusing on things at different distances. Although there are various tricks to help you do this that we will describe below, it’s important that you start by understanding that blink breaks are necessary in order to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain complications.
Cigarette Smoke Can Cause Eye Strain
If you haven’t quite found the right reason or motivating factor to quit smoking cigarettes, maybe computer eye strain will prove to be enough inspiration for you to make the life-changing decision to quit. Since cigarette smoking is known to contribute to eye strain problems, many people who develop advanced computer eye strain problems will simply have no choice but to put down the cigarettes once and for all.
Tips to Reduce Your Computer Eye Strain Symptoms: Treatment Options
Those who follow the above proactive treatments may find themselves without terrible eye strain problems. Of course, though, there are many circumstances where people already have noticeable symptoms that require consistent treatment. Below, we have compiled some of the best means to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain symptoms.
Related: Eye Strain Symptoms
1. The 20-20-20 Rule
The 20-20-20 rule is one of the most basic ways of keeping your eyes working properly, despite the fact that that you may need to continue using a computer consistently. This is a very simple exercise to do. Every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds focusing your eyes on an object that is 20 feet away. This is a daily exercise that just about any sort of health professional recommends to people seeking to protect their eyes from computer screen eye strain symptoms.
2. Keep Your Distance
Sitting too close to your monitor can be one of the leading reasons that you are experiencing computer eye strain symptoms. As a general rule of thumb, you should be about an arm’s length away from your computer at all times. This is usually about 20 inches (50 cm) from your face. Additionally, your eyes should be staring slightly downward at the monitor. For best results, use a USB mouse and keyboard so that you can ensure that you are the right distance away at all times.
3. Use Artificial Tears
When you have a lack of real tears in your eyes, one of the most immediate (and perhaps obvious) remedies is to use artificial tears. This can have many benefits, such as replacing the normal functionality of your eyes. Of course, although artificial tears are both effective and efficient at reducing eye strain symptoms, any effective artificial tear treatment gently reverts back to the production and use of natural human tears. Use these when absolutely necessary.
4. Install a Humidifier
This especially goes for people who live in climates where it is especially dry. The natural elements of your climate can also contribute to the dryness symptoms in your eyes. If you have tried various remedies but still notice eye strain symptoms, you may consider getting a humidifier to add some moisture to your office. In turn, you will have some extra natural moisture reaching your eyes, adding an extra means of treatment to your dry eyes.
5. Occasionally Use Glasses Instead of Contacts
Since contacts place a natural barrier over your eyes, they can be an eye irritant to anybody who is suffering from computer eye strain symptoms. Many people may choose to use a product like the SightPros Computer Glasses, which we will describe below. In any case, those who use contacts and also suffer from computer eye strain symptoms should immediately cease using contacts until they notice that the symptoms have improved.
6. Adjust the Room’s Lighting
The lighting of your room can have a direct effect on computer eye strain symptoms. Specifically, fluorescent lighting is one thing that you really should limit in order to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain complications. If possible, switch out all fluorescent bulbs and replace them full-spectrum bulbs. You may even get some desk lamps. However, make sure that the light doesn’t cause a glare on your computer screen.
7. Adjust the Monitor Settings and Position
As we briefly mentioned above, try to keep your computer monitor about an arm’s length away from your eyes, angled in a way that forces you to slightly look down at the monitor. However, it’s important that you also adjust the monitor settings themselves. Adjust the brightness to a point where you can see the monitor’s content at all times, and most importantly, not force yourself to squint or sit closer.
8. Get Artificial Blue Light Under Control
LED blue lights are one of your worst enemies if you suffer from computer screen eye strain symptoms. Blue lightis even known to irritate and make your condition worse. There are various ways to eliminate or limit the amount of blue light that your eyes take in. The SightPros Computer Glasses, which we will review below, is one great option. F.lux is an application you can put on your computer to filter blue light. You may even decide to use these two tools simultaneously.
9. Enlarge the Text on Your Screen
If you adjusted your monitor position, the room’s lighting, and various other treatments described above but still find yourself squinting or having problems viewing the monitor’s content, you should also try enlarging the text on the screen itself. Whether you use a Mac or PC, learning how to enlarge the text is easy.
10. Use Computer Glasses and/or Cooling Masks
Whether or not you knew it, there are many different products which you can use to counter the symptoms of computer eye strain. Two of the best products for fighting computer eye strain symptoms are the SightPros Computer Glasses and the Cooling Eye Mask for Puffy Eyes. When used together and along with the tips on this page, they can be very effective. For your reference, we will now review these products for you.
SightPros Computer Glasses Review: Good to Protect Eyes from Computer Screen Eye Strain?
Intro
As we have mentioned, one of the things that contact lens users will need to do to fight computer screen eye strain symptoms is to switch over to glasses. These glasses, in particular, are designed to counter some of the negative effects that can be caused by excessive (and improper) computer use. These are a great set of glasses to use if you are one of the people who need to switch over from contacts.
Price
As far as glasses are concerned, the price of these glasses is very affordable and can fit into anybody’s budget who is serious about fighting computer eye strain symptoms. In all reality, the price of these glasses is much less than what you would typically pay for prescription glasses. Best of all, they will help to fight some computer eye strain symptoms while you work on the computer.
Related: Best Glasses for Eye Strain
Blocks all LED Blue Lights from Hitting your Eyes
Perhaps the best feature of these glasses, as far as computer eye strain symptoms are concerned, is the fact that they block all artificial LED blue light from entering your eyes. Of course, LED blue light has been linked to photoreceptor damage. In other words, these glasses will help you to use your computer much more safely, and in a manner that won’t cause further damage to your eyes.
Helps to Naturally Boost Melatonin Levels
Have you ever had trouble sleeping at the end of a long day full of using electronic devices? Well, it is likely that the blue light emitted from your computer had actually suppressed your body’s natural production of melatonin. In addition to preventing damage from blue light intake, these glasses will also help your body to maintain its natural circadian rhythm so that you can sleep normally.
Available in Various Prescriptions
Upon learning about these glasses and the fact that such a product even exists, many peoples’ first question will be whether or not they will be able to get them in their prescription. Thankfully, there are various standard prescriptions that you can select if you want to purchase these glasses.
Relatively Strong and Durable
The worst nightmare of any owner of glasses is having them break. This is, of course, a very common problem. Many manufacturers of glasses have various designs, which are accordingly made to stand strong against accidents and natural bumps. These glasses, in particular, are relatively strong. However, since they are made with various plastic parts, one will still need to handle them with care.
Crystal Clear Lenses
There is simply no point in purchasing a set of glasses if they aren’t easy to see through and can cover most of your range of vision. This is especially critical for a product like this, which needs to block LED blue light from hitting your eyes. With these lenses, most of your range of vision will be covered. At least enough to completely cover your computer screen. Best of all, the lenses are crystal clear and easy to see through.
Overall
There are many people who consider this a necessity for fighting computer eye strain. Due to a high level of effectiveness, ability to accommodate people who have certain prescription needs, and its overall ability to help regulate your body’s natural homeostasis, these glasses are a good option.
Cooling Eye Mask for Puffy Eyes Review: Good to Protect Eyes from Computer Screen Eye Strain?
Intro
Although this product may not be enough to eliminate your computer eye strain symptoms, this is a wonderful product to use when your symptoms evolve out of control. Since it is both easy to use and highly effective on eye problems of many different types, many people will make this one of their go-to weapons for fighting computer eye strain symptoms.
Price
When you consider that a product like this can be used for years and years (with proper use), the price will likely become much less of an issue to you. Thankfully though, the price of this mask will likely not be a deal-breaker to anybody who is serious about fighting computer eye strain and getting their symptoms under control.
Soothing Relief to Irritated Eyes
This product is designed to provide relief to itchy and irritated symptoms that come along with having computer eye strain. With a cool mask that can help fight symptoms from an array of conditions, including computer eye strain, anybody who needs soothing relief on the go should heavily consider a product like this. Of course, though, you can always try to use ice at home to recreate the effects of this mask.
Related: Digital Eye Strain
Short & Powerful Therapeutic Sessions
With this product, each treatment session will be both short and powerful. As you start to notice your symptoms acting out of control, put the mask on. Each session is only 20 minutes long. It’s important to note that it isn’t entirely safe to use the mask longer than this amount of time. Additionally, the mask needs to be washed and re-frozen after each use.
Can Help Clear the Sinus and Tame Headaches
In addition to fighting any designated eye strain problems, another advantage of this product is that it can help clear out clogged up sinuses and even cure a headache. Accordingly, what we have here is a therapeutic mask that can be used for much more than simply fighting your eye strain symptoms.
Stores in Freezer Before/After Use
When you are finished with each treatment, getting this mask ready for your next session is simple. All that you need to do is put it in a safe place in your freezer. To eliminate the spread of germs and bacteria, you should wash the mask down thoroughly after each use and use a sterile container to store the mask in while it is in the freezer. It needs to be in the freezer for at least two hours before it can be used again.
Great for Fighting Many Different Eye Problems
As we have briefly illustrated, there are many different problems and conditions that this mask can help fight. These include allergy-related eye problems, headache and sinus problems, dark circles under your eyes, and puffy eyes. Accordingly, this is a mask that is an overall high-quality treatment agent for computer eye strain.
Overall
Anybody who wants to get a great way of fighting the negative symptoms associated with computer eye strain, or even other similar problems like allergies and puffy eyes, should take a good look at this product. Since it can even help soothe issues like dark circles, clogged up sinuses, and even headaches, this is a versatile tool for fighting both computer eye strain and other similar conditions.
Using SightPros Computer Glasses & Cooling Eye Mask: Results You Can Have
Both of the products reviewed above are powerful means to help soothe the negative and painful symptoms that you experience with computer eye strain. This is especially the case when they are used together. For best results, using products like this along with the other treatment methods described above will help you to finally get your symptoms under control.
Eliminating Harmful Blue Light
When you use the SightPros Computer Glasses or another similar tool for blocking out harmful LED blue light, you will have one of the most harmful causes of computer eye strain under control. The SightPros Computer Glasses, in particular, will block out all of the blue light emitted from your computer, so that you can focus for longer without worrying about an onset of symptoms.
Relief When it is Needed
This is especially true for anybody who chooses to use both the SightPros Computer Glasses and the Cooling Eye Mask for Puffy Eyes. After all, even you use the computer glasses, you might notice that you need some extra relief. When this time comes, you can use the cooling eye mask (or another similar treatment), which will give you immediate relief right when you need it.
Effective While on and Away from the Computer
Using computer glasses may not only be necessary when you are on the computer. Since they can also block harmful LED blue lights from other electronic sources, one of the advantages to using glasses as opposed to an application is that you can use the glasses when you are away from the computer and still expect that they will be doing their job. This means that any other harmful LED blue lights from outside sources will still be handled.
Work Well with Other Remedies
Of course, many people will decide to bypass the products above and simply use the treatment options described above that are already readily available at home first. Of course, though, the computer glasses and cooling eye mask are especially effective at treating computer eye strain if you use them alongside the other remedies, treatment options, and techniques.
Great for those with Intermediate – Advanced Computer Eye Strain
If you have computer eye strain symptoms that are intermediate to advanced, then you really need to start getting serious about getting your computer eye strain under control before much worse problems start to develop. Anybody in this category should do what they can to get the symptoms under control. Of course, using both of these products as well as trying all the other remedies and methods above will leave you with the best chance of success.
How to Protect Eyes from Computer Screen Eye Strain: Summary
On this page, we have shown you many of the different methods, products, and means to protect eyes from computer screen eye strain. In a nutshell, computer eye strain is a condition caused by various factors from computer usage, which can cause your eyes to blink less, become drier, and in extreme cases, affect your vision altogether. If you try the various methods, techniques, and products described above, you can start to get your computer eye strain symptoms under control once and for all.
