Digital Eye Strain | Oviedo Vision Center

Your Eyes & Our Digital World

After a long day of work staring at a computer or scrolling through your phone, your eyes may feel tired or dry. Living in our ever-increasing digital world means our eyes have to work hard to focus on the screen.

If your eyes are feeling fatigued, we have ways to help. Visit us for a comprehensive eye exam to diagnose the root cause of your discomfort and provide optimal treatment solutions unique to you.

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What Is Digital Eye Strain?

Digital eye strain occurs from the high visual demands your eyes endure when staring at a screen. It affects around 75% of people who work on a computer. In fact, American workers spend an average of 7 hours a day staring at a screen.

The number of times you blink decreases when your eyes are focused on a computer, causing your eyes to feel dry or fatigued. Objects on a digital screen are often not as sharply defined and reflections and glare can make a screen difficult to view. When your eyes are working overtime to focus on an image, you may begin to experience digital eye strain symptoms.

Symptoms & Causes of Digital Eye Strain

The amount of strain your eyes feel depends on your current eye health and how long you spend staring at a screen each day. Though most symptoms are temporary, it’s important to acknowledge the cause and take steps to ensure symptoms don’t recur or worsen in the future.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of digital eye strain include:

Uncomfortable vision
Headaches
Blurry vision
Dry eyes
Neck, shoulder, & back pain

Causes

If you spend 2 hours or more a day staring at a screen, you’re at risk for digital eye strain. Common causes that result in digital eye strain symptoms include:

Uncorrected refractive errors
Poor lighting in your work environment
Glare on a digital screen
Improper viewing distance
Poor posture

Digital Eye Strain Solutions

If you think you’re suffering from digital eye strain, the good news is that the symptoms aren’t permanent. Your eye fatigue can be lessened by taking the correct steps to form new digital screen habits. Some solutions to try include:

Get Your Eyes Checked—visit your optometrist to test your eyes’ focusing abilities and ensure you have the correct prescription
Lighting—be aware of the lighting in your work environment and avoid unnecessary glare on your computer screen
Blink Frequently—increase the number of times you blink to maintain moisture in your eyes
20-20-20 Rule—every 20 minutes focus on an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to give your eyes a break
Adjust Your Screen—optimal distance for viewing a digital screen is 20–28 away from your eyes and about 15–20 degrees below eye level

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