It seems everyone is staring at a screen of a digital device these days
Your feel your eyes burning, itchy, and tired? It’s a common condition but rarely serious.
Your eyes might get tired easily if you stare for long periods at a computer, smartphone, or game console. The eye doctor might call this computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain. It affects most people who use one. Some estimates say computer-related eye symptoms may be responsible for up to 10 million eye doctor visits a year. The problem is expected to grow as more people use smartphones and other handheld digital devices, which force your eyes to work harder than usual as they strain to focus on tiny words.
This is medically referred to as asthenopia. Is caused by ocular fatigue, when eye muscles are fixed on one object or task for long periods. We don’t give our eyes the chance to rest or blink at a normal pace. Blurry vision, headaches, and eye strain may result as a consequence. People who suffer from eye muscle strain might also experience double vision, headaches and/or migraines and lastly dry eyes
People usually blink about 18 times a minute. This naturally refreshes the eyes. Due to digital devices you tend to blink less often when looking at a screen. This is also an contributing factor for eye fatigue.
Remember as well that errors in glasses lenses are normally forgotten .Is highly recommended you visit your optometrist to have your lenses corrected often (once a year). Some eye conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism play a role in the worsening of eye strain, headache and blurred vision.
REMEMBER! Exercise your eyes!
Yes, know is the part that I talk about exercise, yes again. Eye muscular groups are also important. We normally fpcus on the other muscle groups, like arms, legs and forget the eyes. Let’s get started:
Roll your eyes:
Slowly roll your eyes counter-clockwise and clockwise. It’s best to do this exercise when you aren’t looking at a person (wink).
Make a figure of eight:
Trace a giant figure eight on the floor about 12 feet in front of you. This exercise helps with eye control.
20-20-20 Rule:
To reduce your risk of tiring your eyes by constantly focusing on your screen, look away from your computer at least every 20 minutes and gaze at a distant object (at least 20 feet away) for at least 20 seconds. Some opticians call this the “20-20-20 rule.” Looking far away relaxes the focusing muscle inside the eye to reduce fatigue.
Another exercise is to look far away at an object for 10-15 seconds, then gaze at something up close for 10-15 seconds. Then look back at the distant object. Do this 10 times. This exercise reduces the risk of your eyes’ focusing ability to “lock up” after prolonged screen.
Both of these exercises will reduce your risk of screen eye strain.
Also, remember to blink frequently during the exercises to reduce your risk of dry eye.