Eyestrain becoming more prevalent

March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month. It’s a reminder for employers and employees about the importance of eye health, especially at work.

So many people these days are using computers at work, and that involves looking at a computer screen hours upon hours at a time.

According to The Vision Council, nine in ten adults spend more than two hours a day using a digital device. Not only can looking at the screen for that long harm your eyes, creating digital eye strain, but blurry vision, eye fatigue and dry eyes are common complaints.

“You want to make sure you are blinking at your computer. When we are working on the computer and surfing the internet, our blink rate reduces and our eyes dry out causing fatigue,” said Dr. Ronald Detwiler, doctor of optometry, CEO and owner of Optical Solutions.

Here are some easy steps you can take to reduce your risk of computer eye strain. Dr. Detwiler suggests adjusting your computer screen. He says a good distance to keep a screen is at about 30 inches. “After about 20 minutes, look at something more than 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. Looking far away relaxes the focusing muscle inside the eye to reduce fatigue,” Detwiler said. Some eye doctors call this the “20-20-20 rule.”

Use proper lighting.

• Eye strain often is caused by excessively bright light either from outdoor sunlight coming in through a window or from harsh interior lighting.
• Eliminate exterior light by closing drapes, shades or blinds. Reduce interior lighting by using fewer light bulbs or fluorescent tubes, or use lower intensity bulbs and tubes.

Minimize glare.

• Glare on walls and finished surfaces, as well as reflections on your computer screen also can cause computer eye strain.
• Consider installing an anti-glare screen on your monitor and, if possible, paint bright white walls a darker color with a matte finish.

Upgrade your display.

• If you have not already done so, replace your old tube-style monitor (called a cathode ray tube or CRT) with a flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD), like those on laptop computers.

Consider computer eyewear.

• For the greatest comfort at your computer, you might benefit from having your eye care professional modify your eyeglasses prescription to create customized computer glasses.

• There are special lenses that can help decrease the strain from fluorescent lights that a lot of offices have, and they help with the blue filter given off by digital devices.

Another important thing is to keep up with eye exams. Dr. Detwiler recommends getting a comprehensive eye exam at least once a year. Having a routine comprehensive eye exam is the most important thing you can do to prevent or treat computer vision problems. If you haven’t had an eye exam in over a year, schedule a visit with your trusted eye care provider – Optical Solutions.