Tips to Reduce Eye Strain

Many of us find our­selves in front of a com­put­er, smart­phone, or oth­er dig­i­tal devices on a dai­ly basis. With the ongo­ing COVID-19 sit­u­a­tion, you may have relied on tech­nol­o­gy even more to pass the time or stay con­nect­ed with friends and family.

Quin­cy Med­ical Group (QMG) HQ Eyes Optometrist Dr. Mar­shall Munch, said most adults will spend sev­er­al hours a day in front of a screen whether it’s for their job or recre­ation­al­ly. That extend­ed time can lead to strain on your eyes.

“Any­time you’re look­ing at any­thing up close, your eyes have to con­verge, or turn in,” he explained. ​“You also have a mus­cle inside your eye that allows you to focus. There­fore extend­ed near tasks can put a lot of strain on your visu­al system.”

Symp­toms of eye strain include sore, tired or burn­ing eyes; blurred or dou­ble vision; watery, itchy or dry eyes; or headaches. To help pre­vent eye strain, Dr. Munch rec­om­mends fol­low­ing the 20−20−20 rule. Every 20 min­utes, look at some­thing 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

“The 20−20−20 rule is a great way to remem­ber to give your eyes a break. Any­time you look at a screen, your eyes are turn­ing in. By prac­tic­ing this rule, you’ll relax your eyes,” Dr. Munch said. ​“When you do take a break from your com­put­er screen, don’t take that time to look at your phone screen. Take a break and look 20 feet away.”

Some peo­ple have begun using blue light block­ing glass­es while in front of their com­put­ers. Com­put­ers, lap­tops, tablets, smart­phones, and gen­er­al light­ing can all expose the eyes to blue light. But, how effec­tive are blue light block­ing glasses?

Dr. Munch says there’s not much research to sup­port that blue light block­ing glass­es are help­ful for your eyes when using a com­put­er, but they may help you get bet­ter sleep.

“As we know more about blue light, one of the big things we know is that blue light sup­press­es mela­tonin, which is the sleep emot­ing hor­mone,” Dr. Munch said. ​“A lot of us, myself includ­ed, hop in bed and look at our phone. And there are stud­ies that say blue light can have a neg­a­tive impact on your qual­i­ty of sleep.”

Reg­u­lar eye exams are the best way to sup­port your eye health and address any con­cerns you might have. Dr. Munch rec­om­mends see­ing an optometrist annually.

For more infor­ma­tion on HQ Eyes or QMG Eye and Vision Insti­tute vis­it quin​cymed​group​.com.