Eye Strain: Bothersome and Preventable

It takes a lot of effort for our eyes to see you through each day (pun intended!). Between driving, checking your phone, working on a laptop, watching TV, and adjusting to constant lighting changes, it’s a job that starts when you first wake up and doesn’t end until you drift off to sleep! It’s no wonder eye strain is so prevalent. What can you do about it? Our optometrist at Paul Thompson, OD has a few suggestions we’d like to bring you today.

Eye strain, while not serious, can be bothersome. Some of the chief causes are:

• Extended periods staring at digital screens, which causes reduced blinking, dry eyes, and focusing difficulties.

• Inadequate or harsh lighting.

• Dry eyes from spending a lot of time in air-conditioned or heated rooms and buildings or from staring at screens.
• Uncorrected nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, which makes your eyes strain to focus.

Symptoms include:

• A feeling of heaviness or fatigue in your eyes
• Headaches around the temple or forehead.
• Blurry vision, especially close up.
• Dryness, itchiness or burning sensations.

Reducing eye strain:

• Use the 20-20-20 rule, which means taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away.

• Remember to blink frequently, which helps to lubricate your eyes and reduce dryness.
• If you have dry eye symptoms, over-the-counter lubricating artificial tears can provide relief.
• Position your computer screen at eye level and about an arm's length away.
• Use warm (not hot!) compresses over your closed eyelids once or twice a day for about 10 minutes to help keep your tears from drying up too quickly. 

Be sure to schedule an annual eye exam with Paul Thompson, OD to ensure that your vision is optimal and to detect any underlying conditions that may be affecting your eyes. We’ll conduct a comprehensive examination and check to see if your eyeglass prescription has changed since your last visit. Please contact us today for an appointment. 

By Paul Thompson, OD

October 29, 2024