Digital Eye Strain | Family Vision Center

Save Your Eyes from the Screen

If you experience headaches, eye strain, or blurred vision after spending time on a screen, digital eye strain could be to blame. The good news is that digital eye strain is typically temporary and can be fixed by making minor adjustments.

Our team can help understand what’s causing your digital eye strain and give you customized strategies to get your vision back on track.

Book an appointment today to experience more comfortable vision.

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What Is Digital Eye Strain?

Viewing a computer or digital screen can be tough work for your eyes. When your eyes work hard for a long period of time, it can lead to a condition called digital eye strain.

Digital eye strain describes a group of eye-related problems that result from prolonged use of any digital screen, whether it be a computer, a tablet, or even your cell phone.

Digital eye strain can cause symptoms such as:

Eyestrain
Headaches
Eye pain
Blurred vision
Dry eyes
Neck and shoulder pain

These symptoms can be caused by a number of factors but are most commonly the result of:

Overworked eyes
Not blinking enough
Poor lighting
Glare on a digital screen
Improper viewing distances
Poor posture
Other uncorrected vision problems

What Can We Do to Help?

We rely on screens for much of what we do on a daily basis. From work to entertainment, it can be nearly impossible to avoid the effects that screens have on our eyes.

We’re here to help you understand what’s causing your digital eye strain. During your appointment, we’ll perform a comprehensive eye exam and get to know your screen and lifestyle habits. Then we can develop a treatment or management strategy that is right for you and your needs.

Depending on your needs, this could include:

Recommending adjustments to your workspace or lifestyle
Prescribing eyewear to help correct any contributing vision issues like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia
Recommending eye drops to keep your eyes moist and seeing well

Preventing Digital Eye Strain

We’re committed to improving your vision. To us, that means giving you advice that helps you beyond our office walls. There are many steps you can take at home to prevent digital eye strain, and we’re here to help!

Follow the 20/20/20 Rule

The 20/20/20 rule is a great rule to follow if you spend a prolonged amount of time using a screen. This rule suggests that you take a break every 20 minutes to focus on an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This gives your eyes a chance to have a break and readjust before looking back at the screen.

Remember to Blink

When our eyes are focused on a screen, we tend to blink less than we’re meant to. Next time you’re using a digital screen, pay attention to how often you’re blinking and remind yourself to take a break to blink.

Make Adjustments to Your Workspace

Sometimes digital eye strain can be a result of the conditions you’re viewing your screen in. To reduce the risk of digital eye strain, make sure you:

View your screen at about an arm’s length away and just below eye level
Maintain good posture with your feet flat on the floor and with a straight back
Reduce any glare on your screen and adjust your screen brightness to match the lighting in the room you’re in

Give Your Eyes a Break

Digital eye strain is common, but it doesn’t mean you have to live with uncomfortable symptoms. We’re here to help you find relief from the symptoms of digital eye strain so you can get back to using screens comfortably.

Book an Appointment