Digital Eye Strain

Relax Your Eyes and Find a Solution for Eye Strain

As our lives become more and more reliant on technology, many of us experience discomfort while using computers, smartphones, or tablets. This discomfort can be attributed to digital eye strain.

While everyone is different, common symptoms of digital eye strain include:

Headaches
Sore neck, shoulders, or back
Blurred or distorted vision
Sore, tired, burning, or itching eyes
Watery eyes
Dry eyes
Sensitivity to light
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue

These symptoms are similar to those of other eye conditions. Even if you suspect digital eye strain is causing your discomfort, it’s still important to have your eyes examined by an eye care professional to rule out other potential causes.

Book Appointment

What Causes Digital Eye Strain?

Digital eye strain is a bit of a misnomer. It’s not the digital devices themselves that cause the problem, but the prolonged act of focusing on one spot for too long. These symptoms can also occur when:

Reading without pausing
Driving long distances
Straining to see in dim light
Exposure to bright light or glare
Being stressed or fatigued

People tend to experience digital eye strain more often while using computers, especially for longer than 2 hours. Undiagnosed eye conditions like myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, can contribute to discomfort as well because your eyes work harder to see the screen.

Additionally, when we use a computer, we tend to:

Blink less
Adopt poor posture
View digital screens at unideal distances or angles
Use devices with glare or poor contrast and brightness

How to Treat Digital Eye Strain

The good news is that digital eye strain isn’t serious, nor does it cause any long-term problems. The best thing you can do for your eyes is to change your habits while using a digital device, including giving your eyes a break from the screen.

Adopt the 20-20-20 rule to give your eyes a chance to relax and refocus. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
Adopt proper workplace ergonomics to relieve stress on your neck and shoulders.
Adjust your screen’s brightness to match your surroundings.
Set your screen’s contrast to match the light in the room or adjust the room’s light to reduce the contrast with your screen.
Minimize glare by positioning your screen away from bright lights, like windows.
Remember to blink!
Undergo regular eye exams and treat vision problems.

Come and See Us

If you’ve made the necessary changes but your symptoms still persist, please book an appointment to see us. We would be happy to perform a comprehensive eye exam and provide you with a solution.

Book Appointment

Our Location

You can find our office at 802 Main Street East, Unit #7, in Shelburne, Ontario. We’re located in the strip mall off Dufferin Road 124 and Highway 10, beside the Tim Hortons.