In recent years there has been a marked increase in time spent on digital screens. A recent survey by Alcon shows Canadians are self-reporting spending on average 11 hours behind a screen per day!
Symptoms of headaches, eye strain, dry eyes, excessive tearing, blurry/fluctuating vision are all common effects of digital eye strain. If experiencing any of these symptoms, it's important to visit your local Nanaimo optometrist to rule out more serious vision problems.
Things you can do to help reduce symptoms of eye strain:
Position your screen around arm's length away and slightly below eye level (approximately 20 degrees).
Match the brightness of your screen to your surroundings. I.e. if your room is quite dark, you'll want to dim the brightness of your screen and vice-versa.
Keep your screen clean! Minor fingerprints and dust can reduce clarity.
Use the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes take about 20 seconds to look about 20 feet away. This helps to relax all the muscles that have been working so hard to keep your screen in focus.
Blink! Normally on average, we blink about 12x/minute (every 5 seconds or so), however, on a screen, the average person blinks only 4-5x/minute (every 12 seconds)!
Ask about anti-reflective coatings which can be incorporated in the lens to help reduce glare from screens.
Book yourself in by giving us a call at 250 591 1018.