6 Tips For Relief of Computer Eye Strain
It seems everyone is staring at a computer screen, cell phone, or other digital devices these days. And it’s causing a serious problem called computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms of CVS include eye fatigue and discomfort, dry eyes, blurred vision, red eyes and headaches, neck, shoulder, and back pain.
Here are 6 easy steps you can take to reduce your risk of eye strain and other common symptoms of (CVS).
1. Follow the 20-20-20 rule.
The rule is to take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes. During these breaks, stand up, move about and stretch your arms, legs, back, neck and shoulders to reduce tension and muscle fatigue.
2. Eye strain often is caused by excessively bright light either from outdoor sunlight coming in through a window or from harsh interior lighting. When you use a computer, your ambient lighting should be about half as bright as that typically found in most offices.
If possible, turn off the overhead fluorescent lights in your office and use floor lamps that provide indirect “soft white” LED lighting instead.
3. Minimize glare
Glare from light reflecting off walls and finished surfaces, as well as reflections on your computer screen also can cause computer eye strain. Consider installing an anti-glare screen on your display and, if possible, paint bright white walls a darker color with a matte finish.
If you wear glasses, purchase lenses with anti-reflective (AR) coating. AR coating reduces glare by minimizing the amount of light reflecting off the front and back surfaces of your eyeglass lenses.
4. Blink more often
Blinking is very important when working at a computer; blinking moistens your eyes to prevent dryness and irritation. To reduce your risk of dry eyes during computer use, try this exercise: Every 20 minutes, blink 10 times by closing your eyes as if falling asleep (very slowly). This will help rewet your eyes.
5. Eye exercise
Look far away at an object for 10-15 seconds, then gaze at something up close for 10-15 seconds. Then look back at the distant object. Do this 10 times. This exercise reduces the risk of your eyes’ focusing ability to “lock-up” (a condition called accommodative spasm) after prolonged computer work.
6. Improve blood circulation of the eyes by a cold and warm compress
Warm compress: is used to improve blood flow to the eyes, increase oxygenation in the eyes, and help manage inflammation. It’s very beneficial for dry eyes, blurred vision, eye floaters, and irritation of the eyes caused by a long time using a computer.
There are also some kinds of eye pad made from a variety of herbal extracts which help accelerate the metabolism of orbital tissue and increase blood circulation to the eyes.