Eye strain is one of the underrated health concerns of the modern era. Along with carpal tunnel syndrome, it has become an almost accepted cost of using electronic devices for extended periods.
While there are several causes for eye strain, it is commonly triggered by lengthy exposure to digital screens. If you have ever heard someone warn you that if you keep on staring at your television you are going to get square eyes, then you might be concerned to hear that there is some truth to the notion.
While your eyes are not going to change shape, they are going to become weak, sore, and blurry if you aren’t careful.
The reason for this is that although digital screens replicate natural light, they are not the same at all. That is why your eyes blink less when you are using screens than they would in normal life. As a result of this, your eyes will become dry and sore, essentially leading to strain.
Of course, if you use screens for work and pleasure, then you aren’t going to want to give up staring at them. Thankfully, we have some workable ways to overcome screen-induced eye strain listed below:
Get Your Eyes Tested:
The first step to overcoming eye strain is to get your eyes tested by an optician. Although you can self-diagnose eye strain pretty easily, it is far harder to know what state your eyes are really in.
Therefore, you should work out whether you can get away with just cutting down on your screen time, or whether you need permanent glasses.
A strong in-between option is to buy reading glasses from Just-glasses.co.uk, which will take the burden off your eye muscles and help you to look at screens for longer.
Make Sure You Are Minimizing Your Screen Time:
If excessive screen time is causing you a significant amount of eye strain, then there is a simple fix – cut down on your screen time.
While there are more intricate hacks and fixes to try to minimize your eye strain, the most basic way of overcoming it is to reduce your exposure to screens.
If you need screens for work, then start by cutting out exposure to your phone and focus on using larger screens instead.
You can also try looking at the horizon out the window for a couple of minutes every half an hour or so, to refocus your eyes and prevent them from entering a chronic state of strain.
Improve Your Posture:
Strangely, a great deal of your eye strain could be derived from how you sit in your chair.
If you lack the proper neck support, then you may be hunching your neck over, causing your eye muscles to be overly strained.
Fix this by doing regular stretches, neck exercises, and investing in an office chair with sufficient support for your neck.
You should also make sure that you are going for regular walks, to regain proper posture, prevent chronic conditions like eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome from setting in, and ensure your eyes are getting enough natural light.