Tips to Protect Your Eyes in the Digital Age

Most of us now spend eight hours or more looking at a screen, and the strain shows up as dry, aching eyes, blurred vision by evening and headaches behind the brow. This is digital eye strain, and the good news is that it is uncomfortable rather than damaging.

Why screens tire your eyes

Two things happen when you concentrate on a screen. Your blink rate drops by roughly half, so the tear film evaporates and the surface of the eye dries out. At the same time, the focusing muscle inside the eye holds a near position for hours without a break, and it fatigues like any other muscle.

What actually helps

• The 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This is the single most effective habit.
• Blink deliberately. A few slow, complete blinks every few minutes re-spreads the tear film.
• Position the screen correctly. The top of the monitor should sit at or just below eye level, about an arm’s length away.
• Fix the lighting. Aim for ambient light roughly as bright as the screen, and avoid a window directly behind or in front of you.
• Lubricating drops. Preservative-free artificial tears help if your eyes still feel gritty.

What about blue-light glasses?

The evidence that blue-light filtering lenses reduce eye strain is weak. If your eyes are tired, an up-to-date spectacle prescription and better break habits will do far more.

When to see a specialist

Book an eye examination if strain persists despite these changes, if you get frequent headaches, or if vision fluctuates during the day. Often the underlying cause is an uncorrected refractive error or dry eye disease, both of which are straightforward to treat.