Digital screens are part of your daily routine, whether it’s your smartphone, computer, or TV. But the more hours you spend staring at screens, the more your eyes can suffer.
You might notice headaches, blurred vision, tired eyes, or even trouble focusing at the end of the day. This common condition, digital eye strain, can greatly impact your comfort and quality of life. Fortunately, there are solutions.
At Bochner Eye Institute, voted Toronto’s top choice for Laser Vision Correction 14 times, we understand the challenges you face. Our team, led by Dr. Raymond Stein, helps patients like you find lasting relief from digital eye strain.
Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain
Staring fixedly at a screen leads to a dramatic reduction in blinking: Normally, you blink 17 times a minute, but staring at a screen cuts that blink rate by three-quarters. This can have several serious consequences for your eye health and comfort, causing symptoms such as:
- Dry eyes
- Red eyes
- Eye soreness
- Tired-feeling eyes
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty focusing
- Light sensitivity
The symptoms of digital eye strain can go beyond your eyes. Because you typically spend long periods staring at the screen without moving, your neck and shoulder muscles may grow tense, tight, and painful. Many people also experience headaches.
These symptoms can vary depending on screen time and lighting conditions. If left untreated, they might become persistent and affect your daily life.
How to Reduce Digital Eye Strain at Home
Our team often recommends practical ways to manage digital eye strain at home, such as:
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away from your screen at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Adjust screen brightness to match your environment and reduce glare.
- Position your screen just below eye level and at arm’s length.
- Blink often to refresh your eyes and prevent dryness.
- Consider special glasses that block blue light emitted from screens.
These simple steps can significantly decrease your symptoms, but if at-home methods aren’t enough, our specialists offer customized treatments to relieve digital eye strain effectively. We evaluate your eyesight and health, then recommend updated prescriptions, dry eye therapy, laser vision correction procedures, or other customized solutions based on your needs.
Digital Eye Strain Relief in Toronto, Scarborough, Unionville, and Oakville, ON
Don’t let digital eye strain derail your productivity or harm your happiness. At Bochner Eye Institute, we have a nearly 100-year history of helping our patients see and feel better. Call us at 416-960-2020 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Stein and protect your vision today.