Electronic Screens: How Do They Affect Our Vision?

Electronic screens

Have you felt your eyes dried up when at the computer screen? Have you felt your eyes strained? A new study has revealed that looking at a screen for extended periods of time may lead to computer vision syndrome.

Harvard Health released an article detailing this computer vision syndrome. I have summed up the main points in this blog post.

It is important to point out that looking at a computer screen at night can stimulate the brain and make it difficult to fall asleep.

Dr. Matthew Gardiner, at ophthalmologist with Harvard affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmiry commented:

It is most prevalent with computers, and typically occurs when looking at a screen at arm’s length or closer.

This syndrome causes two main problem:

Dry eyes

Caused by lack of blinking. One may forget to blink when looking at a screen. Dr. Gardiner says that the blink rate goes from 15 times a minute to 5 or 7 times per minute.

Eyestrain

Bright light sources can feel uncomfortable, especially if you have cataracts. Eyestrain can also result from focusing up close on a screen without proper eyeglass prescription. Any time you strain to see something, maybe because you need reading glasses and have resisted getting them, you can get a headache. You can exhaust your eyes’ ability to focus.

Treatment

Remind yourself to blink from time to time.

The proper glasses can reduce eyestrain.

Additional Tips

• Sit about 2 feet away from electronic screens like the computer screen to reduce the eyestrain.
• Make sure the center of the computer monitor is slightly lower than eye level: about 4-8 inches.
• Use a screen filter to reduce glare on computers, smartphones, or tables.
• Use large fonts to reduce the work your eyes have to do to see letters.
• Reduce glare with soft lighting.

The article closes with: Do TV screens invite eye problems? 

For optimal viewing, TV retailers suggest sitting 7-11 feet away from a 55-inch TV screen or 5-8 feet away from a 40-inch TV screen.

Stay tuned to our blog for more great articles like this one!