We all need digital devices to make our life easier and better. Although the advent of these new-age appliances has improved our standard of living, we cannot overlook their not-so-good effects on us.

For starters, the blue light emitted by these devices is extremely harmful for our retinal cells. The continued exposure to it can prompt eye problems and in some cases, complete vision loss. If you think that you don’t need computer glasses to optimize your eyesight, this blog will change your mind.

What is digital eye strain?

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Scroll your social feeds or check your mails?

And how do you end your day? Probably stuck on your smartphone or TV.

Unfortunately, being fixed to our digital screens cripple our vision. Spending more than 2 hours on our smartphones or computers can increase the risk of digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome. If you are smart enough and use blue light glasses, this problem will not bother you.

However, this problem is not just limited to adults. Kids are also falling victim to digital eye strain due to excessive screen time. If you are concerned about your child’s eye health, encourage them to wear computer glasses if they are exposed to blue light.

What triggers digital eye strain?

The excess of anything is bad. It is not these devices that cause poor vision, it is the way we use them. Whether you use a smartphone, computer or laptop, the following factors can increase your risk of digital eye strain:

• Sitting too close to your devices makes your eyes’ focusing muscles to work harder and wear them out.
• Hunching over your laptop screen to look clearly will not only mess with your vision but will also bring about health-related problems such as back pain.
• The high energy blue light from these devices goes deep into your eyes making them feel tired. Also, it interferes with your circadian rhythm affecting your sleeping pattern. 
• If you already have dry eye syndrome, try maintaining your distance from your smartphone to keep this problem at bay.

Our eyes work throughout the day and thus need good care. Investing in good-quality glasses will help you secure better vision in the future. Do not worry about the price. There are companies that sell good-quality cheap glasses online.

How to avoid digital eye strain?

Eye strain can be avoided by making some changes in our daily habits. However, if your symptoms are worse, book an appointment with your optician and know what you can do about it.

• When you are using digital devices, don’t forget to take a break in every 20 minutes. This will help you eyes adjust their focus and get some time off from the screen.
• Blinking is the easiest way to refresh our eyes. Blink your eyes more often when staring at your digital device to reduce the amount of blue light that passes through your cornea.
• Adjust the brightness of your screen as per the lightning in your room.
• When you are reading, make sure that the source of light is behind you.
• Avoid using blue light before you go to sleep.

The risk of eye strain increases as you age. If you are over 40, use reading glasses when you are looking at objects that are too close. Even if you are buying reading glasses online, buy ones that have anti-glare, anti-uv and anti-scratch coating on them to improve your eyesight.