Digital Eye Strain
Dry eyes, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, blurred vision, and eye discomfort can all be brought on by this illness. The longer you spend in front of a computer, the longer it takes for these symptoms to go away. Symptoms are typically transient.
The 20-20-20 rule, better lighting, and improved office ergonomics are examples of lifestyle and environmental adjustments that might help relieve symptoms.
If making these changes does not help, think about investing in specialised digital eye strain glasses or learning some helpful exercises.
What Is Digital Eye Strain?
Digital devices like laptops, desktop computers, smartphones and tablets are all fixtures of daily life in the modern world. Unfortunately, there may be consequences to relying so heavily on these items for both work and play.
Prolonged use of any of these devices can cause you to develop a painful condition known as computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain.
Reading or looking at images on a digital screen is different than a printed page. The level of contrast between the background color and the letters is lower than with a printed page. Letters or images on a computer screen are less defined than they are in a physical piece of media. Glare and “blue light” from computer screens also affect the eyes differently than printed images.
Causes of Digital Eye Strain
You won’t necessarily develop digital eye strain just because you use your computer or phone a lot. In addition to the length of time you spend using a digital device, the following factors also play a role in the process:
● Bad lighting
● Text that is too small to read comfortably
● Glare from the device screen
● Poor posture when using devices
● Reduced blinking when looking at devices
● Looking at devices from awkward angles
● The more of these factors are working against you while you use your device, the more likely it is that you will experience symptoms of eye strain.
Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain
Digital eye strain can cause many symptoms, the most common of which include:
● Eye strain and discomfort.
● Blurry vision.
● Dry eyes.
● Neck pain.
● Shoulder pain.
Many people experience a combination of these factors. When performing normal office work on a computer, digital eye strain can start to impact quality of life. However, most symptoms are temporary and will start to go away with lifestyle changes or after computer work is done for the day.