Digital Eye Strain – Minimising Its Impact

Digital Eye Strain – A Modern Condition:

Digital eye strain is a phenomenon of the modern world we are living in. Over the last decade our daily experience has increasingly brought us closer to our screens in their various shapes and sizes. For information, travel, entertainment, shopping, communication and much more, we are now finding that a vast percentage of our day is spent online.

A 2015 study by The Office for National Statistics highlighted that the internet was accessed every day, or almost every day, by 78% of adults (39.3 million) in Great Britain in 2015, compared with 35% (16.2 million) in 2006, when directly comparable records began. With such staggering figures in the UK alone, it is important to ask the question – how is all this technology impacting on our eyes?

What Are The Signs To Look Out For?

Whilst there is no current evidence to suggest that Technology causes any permanent damage, it can still contribute to smaller-scale problems including:

1. Tension headache – often caused by the extreme contrast of looking at a bright screen, typically set with a blue hue to mimic the brightness of the sun at midday in a bid to keep us alert.
2. Dry Eyes are also a common concern as your blink rate tends to slow down when looking at things in close range. This dryness is exacerbated when looking at a screen all day and can be particularly problematic for contact lens wearers.
3. Eye Strain – it’s not just your blink rate that decreases when you look at things up close, your eye muscles actually contract. Doing this for more than an hour at a time can cause strain on your eye muscles leading to a sense of discomfort.

Eye Care Practices You Can Implement Today

• Take a break! Though much of your work may be carried out on the computer there are likely to be other tasks that you can punctuate your day with, be it a touch of filing, sorting out your desk or offering your colleagues a brew. Take time away from your screen and relax your eyes.
• Go Offline. Get creative in the kitchen, take a walk, start making a model engine – whatever it is that takes your fancy. Avoid digital eye strain by allowing yourself time away from the silent hum of your electrical devices.
• Go for an eye check up. If it’s been a while since your last consultation then we would be very happy to check all is in order. You can book in online and we’ll do the rest!