So you’d love to go online and find a quick fix for your tired eyes, but headaches, blurred vision, and burning eyes are making you dread Internet exploration? You’re not alone…most people who spend more than 2 hours a day on a device deal with some discomfort. And, according to the Vision Council, nearly 90% of Americans use digital devices for 2 or more hours a day, so that’s pretty much everyone! Add to that the number of people using more than one device simultaneously and you have a lot of uncomfortable eyeballs out there.
Known as Digital Eye Strain, this condition is the discomfort experienced due to time spent on digital screens such as tablets, e-readers, smartphones, laptops, and even old-school desktop computers. Digital Eye Strain is part of daily life for most adults, and even some kids, but it doesn’t have to be!
Instead of unplugging forever, it might be time to make a visit to your eye doc for some advice on how to keep your digital presence comfortable for your vision.
Here are five ways your optometrist can help you deal with Digital Eye Strain
GET AN EXAM. Talking to your eye doctor realistically about just how much you work and play on devices is key to ensuring that you maintain your eye’s health and comfort. About 90% of people don’t mention digital eye strain symptoms such as blurred vision, double vision, and headaches to their optometrists, missing a chance to see better and feel better.
Although you might wear glasses already, they might not get the job done in terms of dealing with Digital Eye Strain. Your eye doctor can perform a complete exam that will re-check your current prescription and evaluate your eyes for strain.
GET A BUMP. Based on the results of your exam, the doctor may recommend that a pair of glasses with computer lenses could be just the trick to get you back in top digi condition. Even if you don’t need glasses for driving or the movies or reading, a little bit of magnification can ease your eyestrain while on the computer or a device.
GO PROGRESSIVE. If you’re already in glasses for other stuff, creating a custom lens for your specific needs can make Digital Eye Strain way less of a pain. Options include high-fitting bifocals with the bottom and middle of the glasses tailored for seeing devices while the top of the lens works for distance. Or you can opt for a flip with occupational lenses that have the top part prescribed for screen vision and the bottom portion for reading off-screen. Standard progressive lenses are a line-free multi-focus option for better computer vision, but there are also computer progressives that work great for lots of screen time and reading, and less distance.
OPT FOR AR. When it comes to Digital Eyestrain, Computer lens options aren’t just limited to magnification. The high-tech experts in lens labs have found that tints and coatings can really help relieve discomfort for those long days online. Anti-reflective lens–lenses that cut glare from reflective surfaces–is the key to comfort for some users. By reducing the reflections from overhead lights on the screen, users find that they can see their screens better and more comfortably.
GO BLUE. An option that can be added to AR lenses or used independently as HEV lenses are “blue lenses.” While actually yellow or amber tinted, these lenses filter out the short-wave “blue” light most effectively for their comfort. Made or infused with melanin these lenses prevent damaging blue light from entering the back of the eye through the cornea.
All this great technology is at your eye doctor’s finger tips! Plan a visit now for comfortable screen viewing well into the future.
