Humans spend around 7-11 hours on screens in a day. Be it your professional work or scrolling through the feeds.  Or maybe you have your eyes on the screen now as well.  It is the probable reason behind facing dry eyes, irritation, itching, etc. If you witness any of these symptoms, you have digital eye strain. It is also known as computer vision syndrome.  Alongside these symptoms, you might experience tech neck and shoulder pains. Let’s analyse the causes in detail first.

Primary cause of eye or digital strain

According to a study, around “76% of children look at screens for more than 2 hours in a day.” These children stay glued to screens to play, learn, and create things.

It leads to excessive eye contraction.

Here are other causes of the digital eye strain:

• ·        Focusing on length of time, such as driving or reading

• ·        Reading in dim light

• ·        Feeling stressed and tired every time.

• ·        Experiencing poor vision

• ·        Maintaining poor posture while viewing the device

• ·        Not often blinking while viewing the digital device

• ·        Holding a device too far or too close to your eyes

• ·        Exposed to the extended amount of blue light- that digital device emits.

• ·        Not setting up brightness properly on the viewing screen. 

How to limit eye strain from viewing screens for a long time?

One of the primary causes of eye soreness is not blinking enough. Most people blink around 15-20 times each minute. However, while viewing digital screens, this reduces to 10 or below.  Increased exposure to screens impacts the viewing experience, and afterwards, one feels teary-eyed.  Thus, try to blink more while viewing a screen.  It would help retain the fluid critical to maintain eye health. Here are other ways to limit eye strain emerging from the elongated viewing hours:

1)  Look away frequently 20-20-20

Your eyes get tired if you stare at something for long. This is especially true with doing professional work like writing something or creating a PPT. It requires long-term concentration and editing. Thus, one must practice watching something else for 20 minutes. It should not be any digital screen. 

 You can watch a painting, plant, or talk with your family. Exercise is crucial if you must dedicate long sitting hours on a digital screen again. Precisely balance your activities accordingly. It would help you keep your eyes in perfect shape without any strain.

2)  Adjust your monitor.

If you often encounter back and neck aches, improper posture is the primary reason. Notice your posture while working on a laptop or desktop. If you exert yourself to ensure the right posture, change the setup. Individuals working from home must analyse their posture. The monitor’s screen must be straight to the eyes or slightly below it to avoid eye strain. Moreover, you can adjust the size of the letters while viewing. It will help you avoid the excessive eye pressure you use to read the letters.

You can use an external stand or monitor risers to keep your laptop/PC right. If you have health issues due to poor posture but lack the financial flexibility to finance the right setup, seek external help. Whether you are a self-employed with a low credit score or an employee with poor credit, check unsecured bad credit loans to meet requirements. It would help you finance what’s important- having the right setup. Moreover, by acting early, you can prevent the symptoms from worsening.

3)  Analyse the lighting setup.

If you find yourself sensitive to light when looking at the light, check the lighting. Bright light or too much glare might cause havoc in watching the monitor and focus on what you are looking at. Light from behind is the most disturbing one. Check whether you can open a windowpane to get the sunlight in.  It is beneficial from both a health and eye perspective.

 Apart from that, ensure that the screens you view for long hours have proper brightness settings. If you find it hard to read through it, you must reset the brightness to a normal level.  Moreover, curtain down windows adequately. It would help you reduce the painful eye experience.

4)  Conduct regular eye exams.

Blinking less, excessive exposure to screens for 8-9 hours and the blue rays that the laptop releases impact the eyes. Thus, experts advise individuals to schedule regular eye checkups. It would help you remain up to date about your eye health. You can use the medicines and prescriptions doctor’s advice.

If issues like long-term eye strain, redness, itchiness, irritation, and watery or dry eyes persist, consult an expert again. However, one finds it slightly off the tunnel to deal with emergencies like that. It is especially concerning for individuals with low and inconsistent income. If you cannot arrange the money or have low savings, check quick loans in the UK from direct lenders and finance it.

It would not be heavy on the pocket as you get no more than £5000 here. Moreover, with fixed and simple instalments, repayments get easy. It is the best for individuals with low and unstable incomes. You can get it quickly as you apply online. In this way, you can finance the eye consultation when you need it the most without worrying about finances.

5)  Put on computer glasses while working.

One must do everything to prevent eye exposure to the computer’s blue rays.  Computer glasses are one of the best options to prevent strain.

It is ideal for persons wearing bi-focal or progressive lenses. Individuals wearing contact lenses while working may not benefit more than they can from a computer glass. It is because, after some time, they dry out and get uncomfortable.

Eventually, it leads to redness and eye irritation. If you cannot ditch contact lenses, wear computer glasses while working on the screen and contact lenses for the rest of the day.

Here is how to buy the best computer glasses for your needs:

·        Experts recommend single-vision glasses for computer use.

·        The right glasses are those with at least 60% of reading power.

·        Opt for scratch-resistant glasses like polycarbonate.

·        The glasses must not filter more than 30% of blue light.

6)  Invest in the best quality device

Some devices and computer screens offer a better viewing experience without bothering the eyes. Thus, if you want to buy a new laptop or desktop, choose the one that offers optimal eye health and comfort. Get a large device with a high-definition, flat-panelled LED screen with an anti-reflective surface.

Bottom line

These are some of the best ways to keep your eyes healthy while working on laptops or PCs. While you cannot avoid work for a long time, you can undoubtedly take initiative. Consult eye examination every twice a year to know the health. If you face frequent issues related to eye health but cannot limit screen time, experts may help. Precisely, keeping your eye healthy by eating right, setting the screen at the right angle, and setting brightness is the way to a healthy lifestyle.