What You Should Know About Eye Care in the Digital Age

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We live in a digital world. Our days are filled with staring at smartphones, computer screens, tablets, and TVs. This non-stop visual stimulation & focus take a toll on our eyes over time. Luckily, there are practical, often free solutions to manage the negative effects. Read on for straightforward tips to keep your peepers happy and healthy.

Digital Eye Strain

Long hours focusing visual attention on any close object (like screens two feet from your face) results in tired, strained eyes. Officially, this is called asthenopia or "digital eye strain." Common symptoms are soreness, headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision, and problems focusing.

The root causes actually stem from how we interact with screens, not necessarily the light the devices emit:

• Uninterrupted staring and concentration reduce the normal frequency of blinking. It leads to dry, irritated eyes.
• Sitting relatively still in a fixed posture for extended periods reduces blood flow. Less oxygen reaches the eye muscles, which get overwhelmed and strained.
• Small text and moving images require constant refocusing and adjustment by the eyes. Our eye muscles have to work extra hard to keep vision sharp.
• Environmental factors like bright indoor lights reflecting off screens, warm, dry office air, contact lenses, and existing vision conditions amplify the risks and discomfort even more.

The more hours per day you spend on a computer, phone, tablet, etc, for work and leisure, the higher the likelihood you'll experience adverse effects.

Blinking Reminders

A super simple free solution to counter digital eye strain? Blink more often!

Eyes naturally blink around 15-20 times per minute. But focus and concentration drastically cut blinking frequency. Reminding yourself to actively and frequently blink keeps your eyes properly lubricated with tears, the body's natural way.

Set phone alerts, desktop computer reminders, wearable devices, or even post-it notes as blinking nudges. Anything to regularly disrupt your otherwise long, intense stare-downs with screens.

Aim for a blink break every 1-2 minutes. Count to 10 slowly while blinking. Roll your eyes around to stretch muscles in all directions. Look out windows to refocus vision on distant objects.

Build more blink breaks straight into daily routines - every time you sip water or coffee, finish an email, change apps or web pages, wait for files to load or printers to print. Tiny adjustments with big eye-saving potential!

The 20-20-20 Rule

Along with more frequent blinking, routinely looking away from screens gives strained eyes extended recharging breaks.

The 20-20-20 rule is simple and crazy effective:

Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Set a phone timer if needed. But with practice, taking quick eye breaks becomes automatic.

Distant trees out the window, artwork on walls, or the end of the hallway all keep vision active while giving screens a little timeout.

Triple bonus - more steps from strolling to windows or down hallways! Two healthy habits in one.

Modify Displays

Beyond better eye use behaviors, the displays themselves impact strain:

Devices: Enable auto brightness to match room lighting. Cut blue light emission in device settings or use overlay apps like f.lux. Increase text sizing. Clean screens to maximize clarity and minimize glare.

Computer monitors: Adjust screens, especially older models, to eye level and arm's length distance (but avoid looking down at laptops to avoid neck strain). Use matte screens to minimize glare. Expand default text sizing.

Home/office lighting: Position screens perpendicular to light sources. Use curtains, shades, or dimmers to prevent bright light from shining on screens, causing glare and squinting. Position task lighting just bright enough for screen visibility without eyestrain.

Many of these display tweaks are small adjustments or device settings we overlook. But together, they create optimal daily viewing conditions to let eyes function easiest.

Don't Delay Professional Care

Be sure to keep up with routine comprehensive eye exams as the first line of defense in maintaining vision health. Catch issues early and treat underlying medical conditions before small problems progress into chronic deterioration.

Yearly visits allow eye doctors to evaluate the big picture fully - not just vision clarity for glasses/contacts but also check for early signs of disease, changes over time, medication interactions, and special requirements, given your needs and family history. If glasses or contacts are recommended, places like Low Cost Glasses offer affordable options for every budget.

Discuss any acute or progressively worsening symptoms bothering you, like strain, fatigue, headaches, light sensitivity, dryness, or focusing issues. Digital lifestyles add extra complexity for sure.

Be your own best advocate for the long-term care needed for permanent peepers!

Keep On Scrolling

Small, consistent adjustments to environment, equipment, and habits add up to big differences over time. Don't try to overhaul everything overnight and get overwhelmed. Find a few beginner-friendly adaptations that fit your lifestyle, then build positive momentum.