If you’re reading this blog, that means you’re looking at a screen of some sort. The fact is, many Calgarians spend multiple hours staring at screen during the day.
Research by the Vision Council recently showed that more than half of Americans spend at least four hours looking at a screen each day.
What this means for our eyes is a significant amount of strain. Another recent study by the American Academy of Optometry showed that just two hours a day of working on a laptop could generate a noticeable increase in eye pain, as well as vision problems.
It’s important to protect our eyes today during the long hours of unblinkingly staring at a digital screen. Here are five great ways to save your eyes:
1. Avoid direct sunlight. Make your screen the brightest object in the room, don’t use your mobile in direct sunlight, and keep your screen clean so it’s easier to see.
2. Sit back and relax. If you reach your arm out all the way, you should be able to just touch your screen. That’s the correct distance your eyes should be from any digital device you’re staring at. Further, keep the screen straight (not tilted) and it should be just below eye level.
3. Remember to blink. It’s hard to force your body to do an action that’s normally automatic, but in this case, it’s worth the mental effort.
4. Practice the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a break of 20 seconds to look at something that’s about 20 feet away from you.
5. Invest in specs. Ask your optometrist about getting glasses that have lenses made specifically to protect your eyes from computers. Your eyes feel much more comfortable and you’ll look super trendy.
Our team of optometrists at Calgary optometrists have a lot more advice about how to protect your eyes from the glare of screens and what options are available in terms of eyewear that can help. Call us today at 403.286.4884 or stop by our clinic in Market Mall.
