How much of your day do you spend looking at a screen?

Whether it’s your work computer, a tablet, or your smartphone, odds are if you’re living in the modern world, you’re probably spending a big chunk of your day with your eyes fixed on a bright screen. Unfortunately, digital eye strain is a common result. It takes less than two hours of daily screen time to create a 90% risk of digital eye strain. No wonder over ten million people see eye doctors about it each year!

Symptoms and how to combat Digital Eye Strain

There’s a good chance that many of our parents are dealing with digital eye strain symptoms without realizing it, such as:

• An itching or burning sensation in the eyes
• Either an unusually dry or watery feeling in the eyes
• Blurred or double vision
• Frequent headaches and neck, shoulders, or back soreness
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Trouble concentrating
• Difficulty keeping eyes open

Many of these symptoms can be a drain on productivity, which is a serious problem for anyone who works on their computer. One way to fight back is to reduce screen time, but that isn’t possible for everyone. Fortunately, there are several easy strategies we can follow to keep the strain away.

Optimize Your Workspace for Eye Comfort

Did you know that the angle of your computer screen can make a big difference to your eyes? Maximize eye comfort by keeping the screen at least 20 inches away from your eyes, a little below eye level, and angled slightly upward. Keep reference materials in easy view so that you don’t have to constantly turn your head to look at them.

What Other Light Sources Are You Using?

The screen itself might not be the only issue. Are your eyes dealing with a combination of the screen, overhead lighting, and glare from the windows? See if you can eliminate sources of glare without compromising that comfortable screen-to-eye angle and distance. If you don’t have the ability to rearrange your workspace, a glare filter is a good alternative.

Live by the 20-20-20 Rule

One reason we become so susceptible to eye strain while looking at screens is that we tend not to blink as often as we would otherwise. A great trick to compensate for this is following the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of screen time, take a quick 20-second break to focus on an object at least 20 feet away. You can start out with reminders until it becomes a natural habit.

Reduce Strain With Computer Glasses

The same way we use sunglasses to protect our eyes from the sun, we can wear computer glasses that filter out blue light to make those bright screens a little easier on our eyes. This solution might not work for everyone; computer glasses often have a yellow tint, so they probably aren’t the best option for graphic designers.

Ask the Optometrist

The last, best resource you have to combat digital eye strain is the optometrist! Don’t keep suffering these symptoms in silence. Come see us and we can discuss the best solutions for your eye strain. We can also make sure the symptoms aren’t coming from a different problem with your vision.

Thank you for making us your partners in lifelong vision health!

Do you have a habit of rubbing your eyes? You could be spreading germs and increasing your risk of eye infections!

Each time we touch our eyes, we’re introducing all kinds of germs from our fingers and whatever else we’ve touched. A wide variety of microscopic organisms live on our skin. They make up an entire ecosystem referred to as “skin flora.” They aren’t all bad; some microorganisms are actually beneficial to our health. Others can cause infections or diseases if they get past the barrier of the skin, which is what makes the eyes such a convenient entry point for them. Germs stick to our skin any time we touch a surface, and they particularly become trapped under the fingernails where they can breed and spread to other surfaces.

Care and Safety of Your Contact Lenses

Taking care of contact lenses is a slightly more involved process. Contact lenses are medical devices that sit directly on the eye, so cleaning them is more about hygiene than maintenance. Here are the major points:

• Make sure to only ever handle your contact lenses with freshly cleaned hands.
• Never reuse contact lens solution for cleaning or storage. All it takes is one use to contaminate the solution!
• Never use water on contact lenses (definitely never use spit!). All sources of freshwater contain microorganisms that you don’t want in your eyes.
• Follow the packaging instructions for how frequently to replace your contacts and how long to wear them before taking them out.

Don’t cut corners on your contact lens care! Even if it saves you a little money in new bottles of contact lens solution, it could cost you an eye infection somewhere down the line. The trade-off isn’t worth it.

Contact Lens Care Tips and Tricks

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The Eye’s Defenses

The good news is that our eyes aren’t completely defenseless. Eyelashes aren’t just there to flutter at a crush, they keep out irritants. Blinking sweeps away debris that enters the eye. The tear film is a complex three-layer drainage system that keeps irritants away kind of like a moat around a castle. However, when we rub our eyes, we can create injuries to the cornea that give germs a way to get past our defenses.

Helping Protect Our Eyes from Germs

We encourage our patients to avoid frequently touching their eyes, particularly those who wear contact lenses. On occasions when you need to, such as to put in those contacts or take them out, you can minimize the risk of infection or contamination by washing your hands with soap first and keeping your fingernails trimmed. Fingernail germs are so difficult to scrub away that they’re the main reason doctors and nurses wear medical gloves! (Fake nails aren’t exempt from this problem either.)

Bring Us Your Eye Infection Concerns

If enjoyed this article about contact lens care tips and tricks or you’re ever experiencing eye symptoms like redness, itchiness, watering, tenderness, and burning, that could mean an eye infection. Schedule an appointment so that we can help you fight the infection or determine if it’s something else, and try not to rub your eyes in the meantime!

Show your eyes love by booking an appointment with our award winning team and doctors at Levin Eye Care Center!

Call or Text 219-659-3050 and give your eyes the quality care they deserve.