Don’t Let Your Screens Damage Your Eyes

Digital eye strain is a common affliction in this increasingly digital world. It causes dry eyes and that feeling of tearing up. This issue arises from spending many hours looking at screens daily. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there.

But when your visual comfort starts to affect your quality of life, it’s time to make a change. Digital eye strain is diagnosed with a comprehensive eye exam. If you think you are suffering, come visit us at Simcoe Optometric Clinic. We’ll find a solution for your screen-related eye problems.

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What is Digital Eye Strain?

Digital eye strain, also known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), is a vision problem that results from overexposure to digital screens. Considering Canadians spend 11 hours per day on screens, this issue is becoming more common. If left unchecked, it can cause discomfort and even lead to chronic dry eye.

Digital Eye Strain Symptoms

These symptoms are directly associated with digital eye strain and often surface after extended periods in front of a screen. If you experience any of these symptoms in your daily life, consider coming in for a thorough eye examination.

Dry eyes
Headaches
Eye fatigue
Blurred Vision
Neck pain

Tips for Avoiding Digital Eye Strain

There’s no easy way to reduce your exposure to digital screens, especially if you work in front of a computer. But that doesn’t mean you have to live with the effects of computer vision syndrome. We’ve curated a few tips you can do at home to reduce the negative effects on your eyesight. But if these aren’t helping, listen to your body signs. Book an appointment to solve your digital eye strain.

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Practice Your Posture

Sitting too close to your computer screen or holding your phone too close to your face can exacerbate eye strain. Your computer screen should be at eye level and within an arm’s length (between 16-30 inches). Find a desk about 30 inches tall and set your computer screen to an 80-degree angle.

Your chair should be 16-20 inches tall. Sit up straight, and try using a footrest. If you can’t properly see when following these guidelines, it’s time for you to come for a comprehensive eye exam.

The 20-20-20 Rule

A simple tip that can significantly reduce the problems of overexposure to screens is the 20-20-20 rule.

Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break, and look at something 20 feet away. That’s it. This can be as easy as looking out your window.

Fine-Tune Your Devices

If you regularly hold your phone too close to your face, try enlarging the text font and dimming your computer screen’s brightness. Most modern devices offer “nighttime” modes, which are easier on your eyes, so try that. Following these tips will ease the possible eye strain modern devices cause.

Modern Solutions for Modern Problems

Modern digital screens emit what’s called blue light. This type of light can affect your ability to sleep at night and can cause strain on your eyes. Simcoe Optometric has the solution to this with blue light blocking, anti-reflective coatings. These coatings filter out blue light from the spectrum and greatly alleviate digital eye strain, as well as offering best in class multilayer scratch resistance. We recommend you take a look at our range of frames and lenses to help battle CVS. But if you’re displaying constant symptoms of digital eye strain, it’s best to book an appointment as soon as possible.

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Our Location

You can find our practice in the Malo Professional Building on Colborne Street North. We offer plenty of parking behind our building with accessibility-friendly options available.