Sometimes it happens that your eyes tend to feel irritated or tired after focusing too much on a particular thing, for example spending too much time on a computer, reading a book continuously, or driving for a long period of time. The irritated feeling in the eye is known as eye strain. It’s quite a common condition nowadays. It’s becoming more and more frequent in this computerized age. Eyestrain, which is caused due to the over usage of digital devices for example smartphones, tablets and computers is called digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome.
Commonly the treatment of eyestrain is simple and does not have to include noninvasive methods. But if your eyestrain has been prolonged it may be something serious and you should go to an eye doctor.
Causes
There are some causes of strain in eyes:
- Focusing on a particular activity for long periods of time.
- Working in a place that is not lit adequately. It could be both dim-lit or too bright.
- Being tired or stressed.
- Facing problems such as dry eyes
- Not maintaining the right posture while performing a certain task or being on the computer.
- If you do not blink as much as you normally do.
- Keeping the digital device too close or too far from your eyes.
- When your exposure to blue light is way too much which is generally emitted by digital devices.
- Using devices that do not allow you to adjust the lighting according to your comfort.
Common Symptoms
Here are some of the symptoms of this issue:
- Blurry Vision
- Headaches
- Strain or pain in shoulders, back or neck
- Irritation in eyes, red eyes or dry eyes.
Prevention Tips
Here are some tips that will help you prevent strain in your eyes.
20-20-20 Rule or looking away frequently
Regular eye strain happens once you are locked in in a single activity for a long period without taking a break. You ought to move your focus to something else other than whatever you are doing every 20 minutes. The thing you are focusing on is supposed to be at least 20 feet away from you and look away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. This is the 20-20-20 rule.
Your screen’s Position
Remember to keep your device in a proper position. The screen should be at least a few feet away from you. The screen should be at your eye level or a little below that. This applies to the devices that you can hold in your hand such as your smartphones. You can enlarge the text so that you can read it properly.
Light
Not working in proper lighting is another reason for eye strain. Not only dim light but also the light that is too bright for the eyes causes eye strain. The light should be behind you If you are focusing intensely, such as reading a book. Dim light should be used when watching television. Also, the brightness of the device should also be correct. You should adjust the brightness of the device so that it does not cause you strain.
