Digital Eye Strain: Causes, Symptoms and Management

Digital eye strain, sometimes known as Computer Vision Syndrome, is hardly a new issue in our society. However, it may seem more pronounced now since so many of us have shifted to remote work. Schools, too, require students and teachers to spend more time on computers as they have shifted to using technology for instruction.

Our time on screens has also increased in recent years because of our leisure activities, like scrolling social media. There are a lot of benefits to the technology that allows us to live so much of our lives on screens, from increased connectivity with loved ones who are far away to access to a much broader range of information. Of course, spending more time on screens has also led to a host of issues, from increased rates of obesity to eye discomfort. Knowing the symptoms and causes of digital eye strain, as well as how to manage it, can help you feel more comfortable both at work and at home.

Why Do My Eyes Get Tired After Computer Use?

Before we get into what you can do to protect your eyes from digital eye strain symptoms, let’s cover some of those symptoms and causes first. If you’ve come home with a headache after a long day of working on the computer, or maybe you notice that your eyes are a little drier than normal during your post-lunch email rounds, then there’s a good chance you’re suffering from symptoms of digital eye strain. Other common symptoms include increased squinting during focus tasks and even neck and shoulder pain. At some point, you might also experience double vision or blurriness after screen use.

Learning what causes dry eye from screens and other symptoms related to DES can help you mitigate them, increasing your quality of life. To put it simply, digital eye strain is caused by prolonged screen use because it forces your eye muscles to work harder than they are used to. Using digital screens causes your eyes to constantly focus and refocus due to the dynamic nature of pixels. This constant movement strains your eyes. Additionally, most of our screens aren’t set up with proper contrast levels, which also makes focusing more difficult than it should be.

Reduced blinking can also cause symptoms of DES. According to Clevland Clinic, you actually blink a third less often when you are working on a screen. Blinking is what allows your eyes to moisten themselves, so not blinking enough often leads to dry eye. While these eye fatigue symptoms are certainly uncomfortable, they are not entirely unavoidable, even in this hyper-digital age. Let’s talk about what we can do to prevent digital eye strain.

How to Prevent Digital Eye Strain at Work: 4 Tips

1. Take Breaks

You may be wondering, how often should I take breaks from screen at work? The best advice is to follow the 10-10-10 rule. This means that every 10 minutes, you take a 10 second brake by looking at something 10 feet away from you. This gives your eyes a moment to reset. It shifts your focus from something close up to something far away. It’s exactly the relief your eyes need as you push through your workday.

2. Trust Ergonomics

Following some easy tips on how to set up a computer station to reduce eye strain can go a long way in keeping your eyes happy and healthy. We know that using an ergonomic stool or chair at your desk can do a lot for your posture and chronic back/neck pain. Ensuring that your screen and desk is set up well ergonomically works in a similar manner.

Ergonomics for your vision involves both ensuring that your screen is positioned at the proper distance and angle from your eyes AND ensuring that you have accounted for screen brightness and glare. To reduce eye strain, set up your monitor 20–30 inches (about an arm’s length) away, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level for a downward gaze. This will allow you to work on your computer for a longer period of time without straining your eyes.

Glare can also do a number on your vision and cause symptoms of digital eye strain. One of the best screen glare solutions is to position screens perpendicular to windows. You should also match screen brightness to ambient light. This is the best screen brightness for eyes. You can also consider adding a back light behind your screen to help match the ambient light. This is actually one of the best natural remedies for eye strain headaches.

You can also invest in some unique office furniture and devices to make your space more ergonomic for your vision. For example, you might consider using an adjustable monitor arm or stand so that you can ensure you maintain the proper distance from your screen, no matter how you are sitting. You can also invest in anti-glare matte screen filters, flicker-free/ curved monitors, or computer glasses with anti-reflective coating to help take the stress off your eyes. Designing an ergonomic workspace for eye comfort can greatly reduce your chance of experiencing digital eye strain symptoms.

3. Let Technology Help You

In that vein, there is also a lot you can do to adjust your technology to work with your eyes rather than against them. For example, many devices now have a “night mode” you can find in settings. Turning this on (even if it’s not nighttime!) can help reduce digital eye strain symptoms because the screen won’t be as bright. This means that it will likely be closer to the ambient light in your office, which will reduce glare.

Night mode also reduces almost all the blue light emitted from your devices. But is blue light from screens bad for eyes? The answer may not be as straightforward as you think. There is no scientific evidence that blue light causes permanent damage to your eyes. However, it can contribute to digital eye strain symptoms and disrupt your sleep cycle. Using settings and even filters on your device to reduce blue light output (especially in the hours leading up to bedtime) will help keep your eyes and your brain from feeling so fatigued.

4. Try Eye Exercises

Eye exercises are also an excellent way to reduce digital eye strain symptoms. If dry eye is one of your main symptoms, you might consider adding some blinking exercises for eye strain to your daily work routine. Here are a few easy ones you can try:

• Complete Blink: Gently close your eyelids all the way, pause for 2 seconds, and open them fully. Repeat this 5 to 10 times every 20 minutes.
• Squeeze Blink: Close your eyes normally for 2 seconds, then gently squeeze your eyelids together for an additional 2 seconds before opening them. This helps express protective oils into the tear film.
• Fast Blinking: Blink your eyes rapidly for 10–15 seconds, then close them and relax for a few seconds. This can be repeated hourly to re-moisten the eyes.
• Slow Blink: Slowly close your eyes as if they are window blinds, keep them closed for a few seconds, and then slowly open them

These will help lubricate your eyes and may also provide some eye strain headache relief. This is because blinking provides a tiny mental pause and a small break in focus for your eyes. Just as following the 10-10-10 rule gives your muscles a break, blinking provides smaller respites in between those cycles.

Knowing the causes and symptoms of digital eye strain can go a long way in helping you manage them. By following these tips, you can greatly reduce the impact that this condition has on your life and keep your vision healthy in the meantime.