How to Relieve Eye Strain From Excessive Computer Use

How to Relieve Eye Strain: Do you find yourself blinking throughout the day? Do your eyes feel dry? Maybe you’re experiencing blurred vision and headaches.

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, there’s a chance you’re suffering from eye strain. It happens more often than you might think. In fact, the prevalence of eye strain is higher than 50% among computer users.

Don’t let your eyes struggle. Instead, keep reading to learn how to relieve eye strain.

With these tips, you can see clearly (without pain). Make life easier for your eyes with these tips today!

Light It Right

One of the easiest ways to avoid computer vision syndrome is to adjust your lighting.

Usually, eye strain is caused by excessively bright light. Take a look at your interior lighting and the sunlight streaming in through your windows. Does it make you squint or blink excessively?

If your lighting seems harsh, make a change!

First, you can eliminate exterior lighting by using blinds, shades, or blackout curtains. Next, consider switching out the lightbulbs in your work area. Instead, try using bulbs and tubes that offer lower intensity settings.

Adjusting your computer can help improve the lighting in your room, too.

Try to position your computer so the windows are beside you instead of in front of behind your workspace. Avoiding overhead fluorescent lights can reduce your chances of computer vision syndrome, too. Instead, try using floor lamps to replace overhead lighting.

Floor lamps can provide indirect light to your workspace.

If you can, consider switching to full-spectrum fluorescent lighting. These lights approximate the light spectrum from the sun.

If the overhead lighting still bothers your eyes, try reducing the number of fluorescent tubes you use. Otherwise, consider using Night Shift on your computer. You can learn how to use Night Shift for Mac here: https://setapp.com/how-to/use-night-shift-for-mac.

Adjust Your Desk

You can also learn how to relieve eye strain while working by adjusting your workstation.

Do you have to look between a book or printouts and your computer screen a lot? Consider placing the pages on a copy stand alongside your screen. Make sure the copy stand is lit by using a desk lamp.

If you’re already using a desk lamp, make sure the light doesn’t shine on your eyes or onto the screen.

Poor posture could cause eye strain and contribute to computer vision syndrome, too. Try adjusting your workstation and chair. Make sure the height of your chair allows your feet to sit comfortably on the floor.

When adjusting your desk, make sure your screen is about 20 inches away from your eyes. Adjust the angle so the angle of the screen is about 15 degrees below your eye level. Moving the screen can keep your neck and head comfortable while you work.

Take a Break

Are computer screens bad for your eyes? Yes! You can develop computer vision syndrome if your eyes follow the same path again and again.

As you continue this movement, your symptoms could get worse. For example, you might experience:

• Eye strain
• Dry, red eyes
• Neck or back pain
• Eye irritation
• Headaches
• Double vision
• Blurred vision

Failing to learn how to relieve eye strain could make your symptoms work. It could also impact your work performance.

To ease your symptoms, give your eyes a break! Taking frequent breaks from your screen can benefit your eyes, neck, and back.

Try to take a 10-minute break every hour. During your break, get on your feet! Stretch your neck, shoulders, arms, legs, and back.

Stretching can ease your pain, reduce tension, and relieve muscle fatigue.

Use Artificial Tears

You can purchase artificial tears over-the-counter if your eyes dry out often. Artificial tears can prevent dry eyes and relieve the strain.

Try using artificial tears even if your eyes feel okay. Using the tears regularly can help reduce your chances of experiencing symptoms.

Switch Up the Settings

There’s a chance your display settings are contributing to your eye strain and fatigue, too. To reduce your risk of experiencing eyesight problems with computers, try switching your settings.

First, adjust the display’s brightness. Try to make sure the brightness is the same as your surrounding work area.

You can also adjust the size and contrast for your text to ease eye strain.

Visit Your Eye Doctor

Make sure to schedule regular appointments with your eye doctor. A routine comprehensive eye exam can help you prevent problems down your road.

During your appointment, let your eye doctor know how often you’re using the computer. They can help you discover new solutions, such as glasses for computer use.

Start Blinking

On average, people blink about every four seconds. That’s 15 times a minute and over 20,000 times each day (depending on your sleep schedule). Blinking keeps your eyes moist to prevent irritation and dryness.

If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen, try to bring more often. Sometimes, staring at a screen can cause you to blink less frequently.

Reminding yourself to blink more often can prevent your risk of dry eyes.

Try blinking 10 times every 20 minutes as an exercise.

Upgrade Your Display

If you’re using an old, tube-style monitor, consider replacing it with a flat-panel LED. Upgrading your screen to one that uses an anti-reflective surface can reduce your risk of computer eye strain.

Otherwise, old-fashioned monitors can cause images to flicker, which can contribute to eye fatigue while you work.

Exercise Your Eyes

Focusing fatigue can contribute to your computer eye strain, too.

Try looking away from the computer every 20 minutes. Focus on an item at least 20 feet away from 20 seconds. Known as the 20-20-20 rule, this exercise can relax the focusing muscle in your eye to reduce fatigue.

Get Glasses

If you’re still experiencing eyesight problems with computers, consider asking your doctor about computer glasses. Adjusting your eyeglasses prescription can help reduce your eye strain.

If you’re not already wearing glasses, you can ask your doctor for glasses that reduce your exposure to the blue light from your computer and phone screens.

How to Relieve Eye Strain: 10 Tips for Stronger Sight

Want to learn how to relieve eye strain? Give these 10 tips a try! With these tips, you can reduce your computer vision syndrome symptoms by making small changes to your daily habits.

Keep your eyes healthy and functioning properly with these tips today.

Searching for more tips for a healthy lifestyle? Explore the Lifestyle section of the blog today!