Realize it or not, we spend most of our days glancing at some kind of screen – whether it be a computer, smartphone, or TV, we are constantly receiving information in a digital form. As per research, around 90% of people experience some kind of discomfort in their eyes due to the prolonged use of digital devices.
This common discomfort is called digital eye strain (DES), or computer vision syndrome, and unfortunately – it’s quite unavoidable today. But, on the bright side, there are steps to take in order to help yourself feel slightly exhausted by the syndrome.
What is Digital Eye Strain?
Digital eye strain refers to a group of visual difficulties produced by the use of digital gadgets or screens, ranging from discomfort to dry eye.
Our eyes were not built to do the same repetitive tasks over extended periods of time. When we do this, our eyes get fatigued and strained, much like any other muscle in our bodies after prolonged stress.
Most Common Symptoms
DES symptoms may vary from one person to another, but the most common ones include:
- Dry, red, or irritated eyes
- Blurred vision
- Headaches or migraines
- Back, neck, and shoulder pain
- Eye fatigue
- Light sensitivity
One of the first symptoms of DES is dry, itchy, and fatigued eyes. It’s akin to the heavy sensation you can experience after a bad night’s sleep. These symptoms are not usually painful, although they may be rather unpleasant.
A headache that spreads from behind your eyes or between your brows is usually the result of constantly straining the muscles in your eyes. Unlike the eye-related symptoms mentioned above, severe headaches may be very painful and can sometimes develop into migraines.
Digital Screens Trigger Discomfort
Why does simply looking at a computer screen cause these symptoms? Digital screens require considerable eye movement. Several variables combine to produce the unpleasant symptoms associated with this condition:
- Blinking less: When gazing at a digital screen, you tend to blink less, which causes dryness, discomfort, and impaired vision.
- High/Low Contrast: When the screen you’re looking at contrasts too much with the ambient light (for example, bright displays in a dark room or dim screens in a bright environment), your eyes have to work harder to compensate. Eye strain and weariness may result as a result of this.
- Isolated focus: Your eyes are continuously shifting focus in a regular environment. When looking at a screen for a lengthy amount of time, the eyes must keep a constant posture. This may exhaust the eye and induce spasms in it, resulting in occasional impaired vision at close range, far range, or both.
- Small prints and fonts: Small type and pixelated pictures on digital displays may be difficult to see properly, requiring your eyes to strain to concentrate.
- Bad posture: When using computers or any other digital gadget, we often slump or hunch over. This may cause discomfort in the back, neck, and shoulders.
- Blue light: Blue light is generated by digital displays and is a hue in the visible light spectrum that is also released by the sun. Artificial blue light from digital screens is released at a lower intensity than sunlight but at a closer range and for a longer length of time. Many headache and migraine patients attribute their headaches and migraines to this strong blue light. It has also been linked to changes in your body’s sleep cycle and may possibly contribute to age-related macular degeneration.
Preventing Digital Eye Strain
There are several easy methods that may assist lessen the effect of displays on your eyes:
- Creating a proper workstation.
Whether for business or leisure, the way you arrange your computer space may have a significant influence on your eye health and general comfort. Maintain an arm’s length distance between your computer display and your face. Adjust your display to be at or slightly below eye level and to minimize glare.
Make sure you’re sitting in a position that permits your neck, shoulders, and arms to relax. Your chair should support your back, and your thighs should be parallel to the ground, feet level on the floor.
- Adjusting screen settings
The brightness of your screen should always be appropriate for the environment; not too bright, but also not so low that text is difficult to read. Increasing the contrast or changing the colors on your screen might also help. Some monitors offer “eye care” options that may assist minimize eye strain by dimming the screen or tinting it yellow.
- Blue light glasses
Blue light glasses are becoming more popular. This is because they may help you sleep better while also preventing dry eyes, reducing eye strain, and minimizing glare, depending on the brand. Its advantages lead to increased clarity and attention, helping you to perform at your best whether you’re gaming, surfing through social media, or working.
- Eye exercises
Just as you should get up and extend your legs, arms, and back on a regular basis, you should also stretch your eyes. Specific eye workouts may improve eye endurance and prevent tiredness. Even regular blinking can help you deal with the discomfort.
- Regular breaks
Use the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and focus your eyes on something at least 20 feet away.
How Can VR Synoptophore Support Your Eyes?
May our solution seem contradictory – using your smartphone to avoid digital eye strain? But in fact, it functions as the most practical option in today’s fast-moving world since you can perform the exercises anywhere you feel comfortable.
With only a few minutes a day of use, you can:
- Improve concentration
- Enhance precision
- Reduce eye fatigue
- Live a healthier life
VR Synoptophore boosts stamina, vitality, and overall well-being. Its eye-soothing characteristics are useful for athletes, gamers, programmers, and anybody who spends the majority of their time in front of a digital display.
Final Words
Because of our growing dependence on displays, digital eye strain is quite widespread. Some specialists believe that only two hours a day looking at computer devices is enough to cause symptoms.
Fortunately, this condition doesn’t last forever. If you spend a lot of time using digital devices, whether you have additional visual difficulties (such as nearsightedness or astigmatism), and if you make efforts to lessen the influence of digital displays, your symptoms may continue longer. But if you start implementing the steps explained above, you will feel the positive changes quickly.
Computer vision syndrome is a bothersome and unpleasant condition, although it is not harmful in and of itself. It’s only a sign of fatigue and exhaustion. Symptoms like dizziness and headaches may not be life-threatening on their own, but they might put you at risk in other scenarios.
Your eyes are telling you that they need a break, and it’s critical that you respect that for your own health and the health of others around you.
