Eye Health Guide: 5 Ways to Prevent Eye Strain

With so many people glued to their screens these days, or else working through a desk job-based at a computer, it’s easy to increase chances of eye strain and neglect good eye health. Vision is something easily taken for granted, and in a world where everything is available on-demand through a screen, eye strain is more and more likely.

There are some ways to promote better eye health and avoid excessive eye strain, and this guide is here to help.

How Do You Know if You’re Suffering from Eye Strain?

There are a few key symptoms of eye strain you can watch out for. Preventative measures are encouraged to avoid the following symptoms, but if they do occur, you can take the steps discussed in this guide to ease the symptoms.

• Your eyes are sore and itchy
• Tired eyes or you’re struggling to keep your eyes open
• Being sensitive to light
• Developing headaches more easily
• Finding it difficult to concentrate or keep your eyes focused on one thing
• Dry eyes
• Blurred vision

5 Ways to Prevent Eye Strain

Here are some key steps you can take to protect your eye health and prevent strain.

1. Always Use Adequate Lighting

No matter what you’re doing, adequate lighting is a must, and especially when it comes to screens and devices. Natural light is always going to be the best option for illuminating a space, but there are times you’ll need alternative lighting, such as during the evening. You can:

• Always use a desk lamp when working at a computer
• Use TV backlighting to better illuminate your screen
• Use lamps close to you when using devices in your seat
• Always use a reading lamp

2. Always Take Breaks

When you’re working a busy job at a desk, it’s easy to neglect breaks to get your work done, but when you’re working with a screen all day, taking a break is important. Even if you’re at home on a device during your downtime, breaks from a screen are important, too. Try to be more mindful about letting your eyes take a break, and set up alarms on your phone if you struggle to remember when you’re due a break.

3. Attend Regular Optician Appointments

The best way to take care of your eyes, in any capacity, is always to attend regular optometrist appointments. If you are struggling with your eyes due to eye strain or have any issues you need to speak about, your optometrist will be able to make recommendations for your lifestyle to reduce eye strain, too. Search for an optometrist near me to keep on top of appointments.

4. Blink

It’s something so simple, but it’s easy to stare without blinking when you’re focused on a screen. Always remember to blink to moisturize your eyes, and you can even use eye drops for extra help in keeping your eyes sufficiently lubricated.

5. Make Adjustments that Work for You

Comfort and usability are key here, so do whatever you need to do for a healthier space. This could be adjusting your screen height, making font on a screen bigger, changing the setup of your space, or changing the contrast and theme of screens for a scheme easier on the eye.