5 best eye care tips for computer users

Working on a computer all day messes with your eye health. Maybe you’re working on a deadline or you have a big presentation coming up. You will work your socks off without sleeping or resting. But you may not know about the complications it could have for your eyes.

Spending hours staring at digital screens is believed to ruin your eye health and lead to a problem known as computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain.

More than 50% of the people who use digital screens regularly have reported uncomfortable visual problems such as eye pain or dry eyes. If you also feel the same eye trouble, it’s time you start using some eye care tips to cut down the effect of screen time on your vision.

Digital screens emit blue light

Digital screens are infamous for throwing off blue light which is not what your eyes like. While natural blue light is good for us and our internal clock, what you get from digital devices is an artificial form of blue light.

It reduces the screen contrast and focusing a lot harder. Thus, to give you clear vision, your eyes try to focus too hard and wear out. Here is what excessive screen time leads to:

  • Blurry vision
  • Dry eyes
  • Eye pain
  • Sleep loss
  • Headaches

If you don’t want the quality of your work to suffer due to these visual effects, make sure you limit your screen time and take preventive measures to protect your eye health. Using blue light blocking glasses does a great deal in cutting down digital eye strain.

Even when you’re gaming, the muscles in your eyes can get overworked by constantly focusing on the fast-moving images. Thus, you need to use blue light gaming glasses to prevent eye strain during gaming.

Tips to eye care for computer users

If heavy screen time is a part of your daily routine, then you need to take special care of your eyes. Making certain changes in your lifestyle and screen time habits could make a big difference for your eye health.

1. Take breaks from your computer

Breaks and pauses during screen time are a must. You cannot stay glued to your screen for hours and expect your eyes to be alright.

So, you can either catch a 5-minute break every hour or you can take 20-second breaks every 20 minutes. But make sure not to use your smartphone or any other device during these breaks. If you’re at an office, take a quick jaunt outside or go for a coffee run. As long as you’re not wasting your breaks on another screen, your eyes are okay.

2. Use glasses

Your normal spectacles or prescription glasses are not enough to protect your eyes from blue light until they are loaded with blue light filters. So, you need blue light glasses or computer glasses to block blue waves and make screen time comfortable for your eyes.

Apart from an anti-blue light coating, these glasses are also able to amplify your view by fixing your intermediate vision. Not only this, but these glasses will also restore the sleep that you’ve lost to blue light.

You can buy these glasses from online retailers as they usually give exciting deals and offers. Make sure to check the label and only buy from a reputed brand.

3. Check the lighting in your room

The lighting conditions around you are also a major contributor to your eye pain and headaches. Harsh indoor lighting or excessive sunlight could lead to vision trouble during screen time.

Most of the workplaces are unnecessarily bright which makes your eyes struggle to adjust to the contrast. Whenever you’re using devices, make sure you block all the outdoor lighting and reduce interior lighting as well.

Also, make sure you position your digital screen so that the windows are to your side rather than your front or back. This will reduce glare and reflections on your lenses and make the screen easier to see.

Also, swap overhead lights for flow lamps with soft lights. Switch off a few light bulbs if you use too many.

4. Don’t sit too close to the screen

Remember your parents used to scold you for sitting too close to the TV when you were a kid? Well, they were damn right for doing so. If your face is close to the computer, your eyes will find it harder to focus and as a result, will feel tired after a short while.

Make sure you’re sitting at least 20 to 28 inches away from the computer. Also, the screen should be just below your eye level. This will give you a better view and reduce the risk of eye strain.

5. Adjust the settings

If your computer screen is too bright, your eyes will squint. Navigate to the display settings and adjust the brightness so that it’s not so bright or dim to strain your eyes. Turn on the blue light filters that are built-in in modern devices.

Make sure your screen is as bright as your ambient lighting. You can also get blue light screen protectors for your screen that controls how much blue waves hit your eyes.

Use these tips to avoid eye strain during screen time. Eye care should be important for everyone. But for those who spend time on digital screens, these are the best eye care tips for computer users.

Vivek is a published author of Meidilight and a cofounder of Zestful Outreach Agency. He is passionate about helping webmaster to rank their keywords through good-quality website backlinks. In his spare time, he loves to swim and cycle. You can find him on Twitter and Linkedin.