If you’re one of those people who looks at your smartphone 100 times a day, your screen addiction is likely costing you some severe vision problems.
Itchy eyes, weariness, headaches, dry eyes, and blurred vision can all result from spending too much time staring at your smartphone, tablet, e-reader, or laptop. Imagine a zombie’s eyes, and you’ll understand.
Eye protection from cellphones and computer screens is more important than ever, but prevention rather than therapy is the key to effectively tackling the problem. Fortunately, you may reduce the unavoidable digital eye strain by incorporating a few accessible, healthy practices into your daily smartphone use.
This article looks at a few easy preventative steps to protect your eyes from computer and smartphone screens.
How to keep your eyes safe while using a screen?
Implement the 20/20/20 Rule.
It was not intended for your eyes to remain concentrated on something in front of you all day. However, during long workdays, the 20/20/20 Rule allows you to give your eyes a much-needed break.Â
A 20-second break to gaze at something at least 20 feet away is required if you spend 20 minutes staring at the screen. However, the more time you stay away from your device, the better it will be for you.
Take note of your room’s light.
Even though it can seem paradoxical, less light in your workspace is better for your eyes when using a computer. Close your drapes and use less fluorescent lighting in the office, so it isn’t overly bright. Use lower-wattage bulbs and make sure that your ambient lighting is approximately half as bright as the usual office.
Minimize glare
Glare on your computer screen may create eye strain since it slows down your eyes’ ability to react to the information you’re trying to focus on.
Make use of a matte anti-glare screen whenever possible (rather than glass-covered LCDs). Also, make sure your glasses lenses have an anti-reflective coating if you wear them.
Use a screen with high resolution.
The majority of people no longer require CRT screens. Those outdated computer monitors with low refresh rates caused an obnoxious flicker and damaged your eyes.
Today’s panels typically refresh at 75Hz or greater. More highly, the better. Additionally, screens with more pixels appear more realistic. Being unable to see the pixels makes it easier for your eyes to interpret the images in front of you.
Do not avoid blinking.
By blinking regularly and for a long time, you keep your eyes moist and reduce the chance that they may become dry or inflamed. We often blink around a third less when we are enamored with our priceless smartphone screens, depriving our poor eyes of the required tears for protection. You should be alright if you blink around ten times every 20 minutes to keep your eyes moist.
You can also use a dry eye spray for extra nourishment of your eyes.
Blinking frequently might also help your eyes refocus is a bonus
The brightness of your screen
Your eyes can strain from looking at a screen that is too bright or too dark, making it difficult to stay focused. To rapidly address either issue, just go into your smartphone’s settings and adjust the screen brightness so that it is nearly equal to the amount of light in your immediate environment. But wait — unless you’re lying in bed in the dead of night, squinting at your smartphone, which might cause insomnia.
Adjust the contrast size and text
Changing the text’s contrast and size on your smartphone also brings about some much-needed respite. It simplifies reading web content, emails, calendar entries, and everything else on your phone. In the case of a PC, you can also opt for a slightly bigger screen to accommodate the larger text size, as it allows you to have more distance between your screen and your eyes.
Effect of screens on your eyes
What effects do screens have on your eyes? There are many warning signs you can look out for, and those can be slightly different for smartphone or PC users. This section will examine a couple of these problems and discuss prevention measures.
- Headaches
- distorted vision
- wet eyes
- In severe cases, shoulder and neck pain.
We unconsciously blink less and may have fewer additional pain reactions when staring at a high-resolution screen, which prevents the body from sending an alarm. Computer users are particularly prone to this ailment, sometimes known as “computer vision syndrome.”
