Truth be told, we can’t live without our digital devices! How do we stay connected to family and friends? How do we know what’s going on in the world? How can we work from home? And how in the world do we get entertained? While a few decades ago everyone survived just fine without them, such a life is hardly imaginable now.
Blue light from these very devices that are making life oh so convenient is also the source of health complications. If you spend hours on end with them, you've probably noticed some effects. Tired and sore eyes, neck pains, headaches or blurred vision. Sound familiar? If yes, you could be suffering from a classic case of digital eye strain.
How Does Blue Light Cause Eye Strain?
Blue light is a High-Energy Visible light that can penetrate through the eye right to the retina. The retina has light-sensitive cells that easily get irritated or even damaged by HEV light as in the case of macular degeneration. Blue light is everywhere as it is produced by the sun which is its major source. The other source is electronic digital devices like computers, smartphones, tablets, LED fluorescent lighting and LED flat-screen TVs.
Blue light from the sun is responsible for waking you and keeping you alert throughout the day. When you stay up at night and expose yourself to its artificial sources, it keeps you alert so you have a hard time getting sleep. Therefore, you need to find ways to decrease blue light exposure from digital devices and keep eye strain at bay.
Ways You Can Reduce Eye Strain
Use Blue Light Screen Filters
Blue light screen filters block out or absorb all or part of blue light coming from a screen. There are two types of blue light screen filters: physical filters and software filters.
- Physical filters- These include both screen protectors and specialized eyewear. Screen protectors are put on either smartphones or computer screens to filter out blue light. They are coated with a material that reduces the amount of blue light that passes through. They also have an anti-glare feature to save the eyes from bright light from the screens. Blue light filtering glasses work the same way as screen filters by blocking out blue light. Blue light filtering coatings are available for both prescription and non-prescription eyewear.
- Software filters- These are applications that are either inbuilt in devices or installed that block blue light from the screen. They include applications like lux, Night Mode and Night Shift. However, filtering out blue light using applications tends to distort colours and reduce clarity.
Maintain a Good Distance from Your Devices
The intensity of blue light is more hard-hitting when you sit too close to your screen. You should keep an arm's length away from your screen as you work. If you're having a hard time seeing properly, enlarge your font.
Observe the 20-20-20 Rule
People often forget to blink or look away while focused on screens. As a result, your eyes get tired and dry. One way of countering this is by looking away every 20 minutes at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Remember to also blink as often as possible. Artificial tears are also a lifesaver on this front.
Adjust Brightness of Devices
The glare of bright screens and lighting is a contributing factor to eye strain. Towards evening, remember to crank down the level of brightness on your devices. Since LED lighting also emits blue light, dim those too if you can to reduce exposure.
Take Breaks
The temptation to sit and do your work from start to finish may be irresistible but take breaks every once in a while to alleviate eye strain symptoms. It is recommended that you take 10-minute breaks every hour. During the break, stretch your neck, shoulder, arms and legs to reduce muscle tension and fatigue.
Use Proper Lighting
Eye strain is often caused by excessive light coming from outside or from indoor lighting. Reduce outdoor light by closing drapes or blinds. For indoor lighting, use bulbs of a lower voltage or reduce the number of bulbs. Try to avoid having light in front, behind or overhead the computer. The light coming from the sides or floor lighting is preferable. The brightness of the screen should match the lighting around you.
Reduce Glare
A glaring screen more often than not causes you eye strain. The glare can also be from light from the screen bouncing off walls. Buy anti-glare screen filters or glasses that have anti-reflective coatings. Do away with white walls for your office and go for a darker shade that doesn’t reflect colour.
Eye strain is not the only health effect that blue light can cause you. It has also been associated with a lack of sleep which leads to a myriad of other diseases like heart disease and diabetes. The wise course of action is to consider the suggestions above and save yourself a whole lot of preventable health troubles.
