How to Help Eyes Strained From Screen Time

In this post, you will gather valuable information about how eyes suffer from strain due to digital screens. Additionally, you will learn a handful of effective tips to reduce digital eye strain and improve your overall eye health. Do you know what causes digital strain on the eyes? Do you know how it occurs?

Knowing such minor details could prevent your eye health from worsening. Your eyes are sensitive organs present inside the bony sockets of the skull. They perform an important function for the human body and brain: they help you see.  

Now, we don’t need to explain why you need your eyes, but many people forget that taking care of them is integral to overall health. With weak eyesight or eye problems/issues/disorders/diseases, you can experience declining health as you age. 

What Is Screen Time Eye Strain? How Does It Occur?

An average human being blinks nearly 15 to 20 times in a minute. The benefit of blinking is that it evenly spreads tears over your eyes and prevents the cornea from experiencing drying or irritation. However, when you’re using a screen, you blink fewer times per minute. Consequently, your eyes become dry and irritated. Digital screens that aren’t blue light-filtered emit blue light rays that elicit a response from our brains, increasing assertiveness and alertness.

Due to spiked brain activity, the eyes tend to focus more, and it causes a massive strain on the optical nerves and extraocular muscles. The flickering and contrast of the screen are vital factors that worsen eye strain caused by screen time. Here’s how you can improve eye strain issues. 

Tips to Improve Eye Strain from Screen Time

If the condition is persistent and doesn’t go away even when you’re not on screen time, you should see an optometrist right away. Early diagnosis could reveal any underlying eye health conditions and issues to gain prompt treatments for effective recovery. Check out the valuable tips below:

  • Moisten your eyes with artificial tears when you think that they’re dry but do so under your physician’s discretion.
  • Don’t keep your device brighter than the surrounding; this strains the eye muscles even more.
  • After a consistent screen time of 2 hours or so, take a long 15-minute break.
  • After every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away from you for nearly 20 seconds (i.e., the 20-20-20 rule).
  • Keep the screen 10-15 degrees below eye level and the screen itself 25 inches away from your eyes.

Conclusion

Dr. Brian Whitney is one of the top-rated optometrists operating directly from the institute Whitney Eye Care. He has helped dozens of patients with various eye health conditions, diseases, and issues. Whether your eyes are watering or you’re experiencing a digital strain that’s weakening your eyesight, you will find Dr. Whitney at your service in Whitney Eye Care. 

You can consult Dr. Whitney for your eye health concern and discuss viable treatment options. He provides an extensive level of services ranging from diagnosis to assessing underlying existing eye health issues. Call (435)586-9949 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Whitney today!