5 Tips To Help You & Your Employees Avoid Eye Strain

5 Tips To Help You & Your Employees Avoid Eye Strain

Five tips on how to prevent digital eye strain which can reduce your chances of experiencing the condition or dealing with its symptoms.

Around 80% of US adults say they use the screen at least 2 hours a day and 59% report experiencing some form of digital eye strain.

Digital eye strain includes a variety of symptoms; including dry eye, irritation, light sensitivity, difficulty concentrating, and blurred vision. If not addressed, these symptoms can turn into chronic problems.

This issue can be particularly problematic for entrepreneurs, as screens are a huge part of running a business in 2020. Tired eyes and struggling to see and focus can affect productivity and effectiveness. Read these 5 tips to help you & your employees avoid eye strain

1. How to prevent digital eye strain

Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to reduce your chances of experiencing a digital eye strain and dealing with symptoms. Small Business Trends recently spoke with, an optometrist and founding partner of the Eye Associates of New York and The Center for Ophthalmic and Vision Research.  One simple step is to check the light of your office or living room. Working in dark environments with high brightness on your monitor can put a strain on your eyes. Adjust the brightness in your monitor and add lighting in your office or room.

2. Take an eye test

Even if the screen is underlying your eye problem, there may be other factors that play a role as well. Solving these problems can help dramatically reduce symptoms.

Patel, said in a telephone interview with Small Business Trends: Many patients have untreated vision problems. Even if you are still staring at the screen all day, fixing those issues can help you.

Of course, staring at your computer or smartphone before taking a break may have a huge benefit to your eyes. But long breaks are not always possible. He acknowledges this reality as Patel handles a lot of professionals in Manhattan. But he says that even short breaks can often make a big difference. To make it easier to remember, he categorized it into rules that he and other eye care professionals call 20/20/20.

He explains, where you see something that is at least 20 feet apart, you just need to take a 20-second break every 20 minutes.

3. Change your computer screen

Blue light from computer monitors and mobile devices is one of the causes of eye strain. However, they are basically simple in your eyes, as there are now monitors that don’t emit that much blue light.

BenQ is a company taking a step in this direction. The company has a line of monitors that filters some of these harmful blue rays, so they don’t harm your eyes as much as a traditional screen without affecting image quality. They also offer entertainment and gaming solutions. If you tend to look a lot at the screen during your break time, you could also replace some of the items in your home.

4. Use blue light glasses

There are also filtering products that help you reflect some of that blue light before it does it to your eyes. The most popular option currently available is probably blue light glasses. These are simply non-prescription lenses that reflect some of these harmful rays. In addition to the nervousness, blue light promotes attention and affects sleep performance at night, especially if you tend to use your cell phone or computer at night.

This will probably not solve the problem completely, because blue light is not the perfect reason for a digital ice train. The focus your eyes place on the screen for an extended period of time can still contribute to the symptoms. So, this should not be used instead of taking a regular break or setting an eye exam. But it may be a decent compliment.

5. Adjust the brightness of your office

The light around your screen can also affect the distortion you give to your eyes. Of course, you need to make sure there is enough quality lighting so that you and your employees do not always fumble. But Patel acknowledges that offices usually do a good job of providing enough light.

Often the problem is that in some places there is too much light or uneven lighting. If there is glare on the screen from overhead lights or lamps, it can cause your digital ice train symptoms. Therefore, if you or your employees have to deal with glare, it may be worth evaluating your lighting plan and replacing some fixtures.

Featured photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash