9 Tips to Take Care of Your Eyesight in the Digital Age

Screens are everywhere these days—phones, tablets, computers, TVs—and most of us spend far more time looking at them than we realize. Between work, entertainment, and staying connected, our eyes rarely get a real break. Over time, all that screen time can lead to dryness, headaches, blurred vision, and general eye fatigue.

The good news is that a few simple habits can make a big difference in keeping your eyes healthy. In this post, we’ll look at some common signs of screen-related eye strain and share tips to protect your vision while still enjoying your favorite devices.

Common Problems with Aging Eyes

• Dry eyes: Many people experience eye dryness due to decreased production of tears and impaired lid function, such as ectropion.
• Presbyopia: Presbyopia is near-vision blurring that typically starts in the forties and is caused by age-related lens thickening, which makes the lens less flexible. To help with reading and close-up work, glasses are usually recommended.
• Posterior Vitreous Detachment: The interior of our eyes is filled with jelly-like material called the vitreous, which is attached to the retina. With age, posterior vitreous detachment occurs when the vitreous becomes more liquid and starts to detach from the retina at the back of the eye. This process causes the formation of scattered clumps of collagen fibers, called “floaters,” which appear in our field of vision as blurry specks or strings. If they become too annoying, it’s best to consult your eye care professional to rule out any other more serious eye conditions.
• Cataracts: An age-related clouding of the eye's natural lens is a cataract. The most common cataract symptom is hazy or blurred vision that gradually worsens with time. Eye inflammation, surgery, or metabolic diseases such as diabetes can accelerate cataract formation. The standard of care for cataracts is surgery to implant an intraocular lens, which restores normal vision in nearly all cases.

These conditions have plagued human eyes for millennia, but since the mid-20th century, electronic screens have aggravated these problems.

Computer Vision Syndrome

Today’s lifestyles often include many hours of looking at screens at close range. Because of the length of time and the fact that screen images are often not as sharply defined as printed pages, our eyes must work harder over long periods. This results in a variety of symptoms known as computer vision syndrome (CVS):

• Blurred vision
• Dry eyes
• Eyestrain
• Headaches
• Neck and shoulder pain

There are multiple causes for CVS, including:

• Digital screen glare and blue light
• Suboptimal viewing distances
• Inadequate lighting
• Poor seating position
• Underlying vision problems

Managing CVS

What can you do to preserve your eyesight in the age of screens?

1. Regular Eye Checkups

It is best to catch any eye problems as soon as possible so that they can be handled early and appropriately. Many eye problems give no warning signs and can harm your vision very quickly. Make sure to get your eyes checked regularly.

2. Wear Prescription Lenses

Regular eye check-ups will frequently result in a prescription for corrective lens glasses or contact lenses.

Wearing these regularly will make screen viewing much easier, thereby significantly reducing CVS risk. There’s also the benefit of increased overall quality of life in seeing things more clearly in daily activities and helping to mitigate risks like falling or medication overdoses.

3. Stay Hydrated

For every part of the body, particularly our eyes, water is necessary. Proper hydration will ensure that a healthy layer of water always covers the eyes, providing protection and facilitating blinking, which helps to wash away bacteria and debris. Inadequate hydration can cause the eyes to feel irritated and increase the risk of other problems.

4. Wear Sunglasses Outside

Wearing sunglasses outdoors will help with both damaging blue light and invisible ultraviolet (UV) light. Don’t make the mistake of skipping sunglasses on a cloudy day. While overcast skies block blue light, harmful UV rays can penetrate clouds. You can add more protection by using polarized sunglass lenses, which reduce light glare and prevent eyestrain.

5. Use Blue Blocker Glasses

Unlike sunglasses, blue protection glasses, or blue light glasses, are designed to protect your vision when looking at a screen.

Blue light, a visible wavelength, accounts for 25% of sunlight and is known as high-energy visible (HEV) light. Because of this, the eye senses the sharpest images from this wavelength, but paradoxically, due to its high energy, it has the most potential to damage the eye.

When engineers started to develop electronic screens, they relied on plenty of blue light wavelengths to make images easier to see. This created an added risk for human eyes because we tend to stare at screens for hours at a time. So, since adults already contend with age-related eye problems, filtering out blue light from screens may offer some benefit.

6. Reduce Glare

Glare on a screen can make it nearly unreadable. Adjust window coverings or the position of the screen to manage glare. Another option is a glare reduction filter applied to the screen. Other simple steps, such as keeping screens clean, can also decrease glare and improve clarity.

7. Optimize the Work Area

Desks, tables, and chairs need to be adjusted for maximum comfort. According to the American Optometric Association:

• Work surfaces typically should be 26 inches high
• Desks and tables 29 inches high
• Computer screens should be 16-30 inches away with a 10-20 degree tilt and the top of the screen at eye level.
• Use a copy holder positioned next to the screen to avoid constant repositioning of the head.

8. Follow the 20-20-20 Rule, Then Walk Around

Sitting for hours at a stretch in front of a screen is unnatural for our entire body. To prevent eyestrain, look up from your screen every 20 minutes and focus for 20 seconds on something 20 feet away. Once you have done this, get up and walk around for a few minutes. This will help not only your eyes by focusing on something other than the screen for a while, but also keep you from getting fatigued overall. Set an alarm for every 20-30 minutes to remind yourself to take a break.

9. Use Proper Lighting

According to the National Institutes of Health, eyes require three times as much light when you are in your 60s as they did in your 20s. Increase natural light by keeping curtains pulled back and windows clean. Make sure to have good electric lighting, particularly at the bottom and top of the stairs, so that you can clearly see the steps. Use a direct light from an adjustable table lamp, positioned to read, so the light does not reflect off the page or screen and lead to glare.

Our eyes work hard every day, and constant screen time only adds to the strain. The good news is that protecting your vision doesn’t require big changes—just a bit more awareness. Simple steps like taking screen breaks, adjusting lighting, and staying hydrated can go a long way toward keeping your eyes comfortable and healthy. Taking care of your vision today helps ensure it stays strong for years to come.

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