Digital Eye Strain Exposed
Do your eyes feel tired, uncomfortable, achy or strained after at least two hours on a digital device? A few facts on digital eye strain from the Vision Council:
- Nearly 90% of American adults use a digital device for more than 2 hours per day.
- Over 60% of American adults use a digital device for more than 5 hours per day.
- 65% of Americans report symptoms of digital eye strain including neck and back pain, eye fatigue, blurry vision, headaches and dry eyes.
- 90% of Americans do not discuss their digital device usage with their optometrist.
- 27% of Americans do not realize that computer eyewear can help protect against digital eye strain.
Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms after extended digital screen time?
- Eye strain
- Headaches
- Neck and/or back pain
- Blurry vision
- Dry eyes
Relief is here!
A conversation with the optometrist is the best way to start the process to relieving your digital eye strain. The doctor can write a prescription if necessary that will relieve the strain on your eyes while working at a particular distance.
If you are presbyopic (the age-related inability to see up close) there are some specialized progressive lenses that can provide optomized for vision at multiple distances. These take into consideration keeping your head in an ergonomically correct position. A great example is the Shamir Autograph II Office Lens- specifically designed to provide a comfortable field of view between 15′ (seeing the wall clock) and looking at the computer or phone screen. Many of our patients wear these lenses throughout their workday with much appreciation. They report rested eyes and greater energy at the end of the day.
A good option for a younger patient who is in front of the computer all day but strictly farsighted or nearsighted is a single vision computer prescription. Our patient Zac reports:
After purchasing my first pair of computer glasses, I’ve noticed a tremendous difference in my energy and clarity.
Digital Eye Strain-Lenses
In addition to specific lens styles, there are also lens options that are designed to relieve digital eye strain. These two products discussed below specifically target filtering out high energy blue light from device screens. Blue light has a very short wavelength. Therefore it produces a higher amount of energy. Studies suggest that exposure to the blue end of the light spectrum could cause short term and potentially serious long-term damage to your eyes.
BluTech i
s a subtly colored lens filter available in specific lens designed to filter out blue light.
Similarly, Crizal Prevencia anti-reflective coating combined a non-glare coating with a high-tech filter to significantly reduce the amount of blue light getting into the eye.
There are many more details to discuss with one of our opticians on which lens options might be best for you and your workspace. Stop by soon to talk to us about getting the relief your eyes need today. Look forward to less strain and more energy!
I’ve recently come across some really great explanations of how polarized lenses work to reduce glare – and I hope to shed some light (pun intended) on how these work- so you can hopefully gain a new appreciation of this great technology!
Non polarized sunglasses indiscriminately filter all light- horizontal and vertical. They reduce glare but don’t eliminate it.
As you’re preparing for the upcoming school year, it’s important to make sure a comprehensive eye examination is on the family’s to-do list. Kid’s vision can change dramatically from one year to the next and 80% of learning is experienced through vision. Therefore, a thorough eye exam is a necessary step to making sure your child is ready for the school year!
its
How often do you take your car to be serviced or head to the dentist? How often do you update the anti-virus software on your PC to protect your hard drive?
of the year- your birthday month – as soon as school’s out for summer or before the year is out – pick a time to schedule your yearly eye check up/regular preventative maintenance and stick to it! Your future self will thank you!
Whenever you spend time outside, there are easy ways to protect your eyes from the sun to help reduce the risks discussed above. Wearing quality sunglasses that provide 100% protection against UV-A and UV-B radiation is the first step. Transition lenses (that darken in sunlight) also provide 100% UV protection. Wrap-around sunglasses provide the most amount of protection. Don’t forget about protecting children and young adults eyes too! They typically spend the most time in the sun. Therefore, implementing the sunglasses habit can make the biggest impact to their long term eye health. It does this by reducing the amount of accumulative hours of UV exposure!
nes after a rainstorm and we are surrounded by beautiful bodies of water to play on- polarized lenses are life changing.
All lenses have an eighteen-month warranty including two remakes for any reason. Your satisfaction is our top priority. Optional upgrades include mid-index and hi-index plastic, full personalized freeform lenses or mirror coatings (multiple colors available). The package savings are over $150 and are still eligible for our multiple pair discount! We have a great selection of sunglasses frames and lenses! Please stop in to talk to our obticians and discuss the polarized lenses package!
Salvatore Ferragamo SF757S (top), Tura 050 (bottom)
