Eye strain isn’t a serious condition, but it also isn’t a lot of fun! It can cause headaches, sore necks, watery or dry eyes and blurred or double vision. It can also make you feel as though it’s difficult to concentrate oras though you can’t keep your eyes open. Luckily, there are a few things that you can to do avoid the causes of eye strain.
Too much screen time
One of the most common causes of eye strain is too much screen time, particularly at the moment, when people are spending more time inside on their screens.When thinking about our levels of screen time it’s important to remember that it’s not as simple as time spent working on a computer.
Any activity where we are intensely focusing on an object could be a contributor to eye strain, whether that’s working on a computer, playing on our phones or even reading a book.There is no absolute value for ‘too much screen time’ – what’s important is the way that we manage our time on the screen. The recommendation is that we follow the 20-20-20 rule. This means that every 20 minutes we look up from what we are doing, at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds.
This small action acts as a break for our eyes and prevents them from becoming strained. If you struggle to remember to take regular breaks (don’t we all!), then you can download a timer app for your computer or phone that will remind you every so often.
Glare
Another common cause of eye strain is glare. This could be caused by having the brightness up too high on our screens, or by light from the sun or artificial lighting reflecting off our screens. It’s not just when we’re on a computer that glare is a problem, either. When we’re outside in the sun if we don’t wear sunglasses to protect ourselves then glare can be a problem there, too.
To avoid computer glare, be mindful of your screen brightness and the positioning of your screen. To avoid glare when we’re outside, the best defence is to wear a pair of sunglasses. If you enjoy reading a book in the sunshine and you need reading glasses, then try a pair of reading sunglasses from Just-glasses.co.uk to give your eyes the protection they need.
Stress and fatigue
Stress and fatigue are common causes of eye strain, so if you want to take care of your eyes it’s important that you bear this in mind.One of the most important things you can do for stress and fatigue is to prioritize getting a good night’s sleep. Some ways that can do this are cutting down on caffeine, going to bed earlier and making a noscreens in the bedroom rule (the blue light from screens impacts our ability to sleep).
Some other ways to combat stress are regular exercise and paying attention to your nutrition.
Put the above advice into practice and your eyes will thank you for it.
