Five Tips For Reducing Eye Strain

We all know how vital it is to take good care of our eyesight. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, our eyes can still become strained. Whether you spend the majority of your day staring at a computer screen or working under low-light conditions, eye strain can be a real problem. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help reduce eye strain. Here are a few tips that can help you reduce eye strain.

Tip #1: Take regular breaks
Every twenty minutes, look at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds. This relaxes two parts of your visual system; the muscles that bring things into focus and the muscles that point the eyes at what you’re looking at.

Tip #2: Adjust the distance from your screen
Moving your monitor closer or farther away can help you find a ‘sweet spot,’ as well as improve poor posture, which can cause headaches and neck strain.

Tip #3: Dry eye treatments
Studies have shown that our blink rate decreases when using/observing a screen, which results in tears drying out faster. Ironically, this drying out can sometimes cause our eyes to over-produce a poor-quality tear layer, which doesn’t help the strain symptoms. Your optometrist can assess your tear layer and recommend the best eye drops for you.

Tip #4: Change the tint of your screen
Blue-light blockers remain a mildly controversial topic, but some patients swear by them. Before you buy and spend money on a pair of blue-blocker glasses, try the ‘night mode’ or other settings available on most devices that reduce the blue light from your screen. These modes are usually found in the Display section of your settings. While you’re there, try different brightness settings and find out what works best for you.

Tip #5: Check your glasses prescription
Changes in your glasses prescription, especially your near prescription, are the most common cause of eye strain from screens. Set up an appointment with your optometrist to check your prescription, as well as investigate any other eye health problems that could be contributing.

For more tips on protecting your eyes and vision, reach out to us at Millcreek Optometry Centre. Over sixty years of experience have been devoted to protecting and preserving patients’ vision. We use the latest technology and available products to provide premium eye care. Patients know they can trust us with their vision.

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