Digital Strain during COVID-19

For students and employees

Are you a 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
𝗢𝗿
𝗔 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲

The outbreak of 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝟭𝟵

has trapped us all within four walls and now home is our new centre for working, learning, entertainment & socialisation while self-isolating.

We are constantly glued to our smartphones, televisions and computer screens. The attention makes us forget to blink, eventually leading to Digital Eye Strain.

Yes!

The discomfort increases with excessive use and presents through a number of common symptoms like:

1. Headache
   2. Eye irritation/soreness
   3. Eye redness
   4. Eye fatigue
   5. Grittiness Scratchiness
   6. Burning/watering
   7. Blurred vision
   8. Neck/shoulder/back pain
   9. Blurring when shifting gaze from distance to near
   10. Difficulty keeping eyes open

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you have been staring at your screen for too long! Most of us Optometrists are flooded with such complaints from patients.

These are a result of:

1. Improper postures
2. Improper viewing distances
3. Poor lighting of the room
4. Glare of the digital screen
5. Direct flow of air conditioner on your eyes, or a combination of these factors.
6. Less blinking

Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can start following as soon as you’re done reading this article to relieve the symptoms of digital eye strain even without visiting your Optometrists.

1. Blink! Blink! Blink! (It lubricates your eyes)

Make an effort to blink while you work (or scroll) through your screen. We often neglect this while we are using our devices.

2. Exercise your eyes (20–20–20 Rule)

So, take a 20-second break in every 20-minutes, and look at something at least 20-feet away from your digital screen. Make this your forever mantra because our eyes needs a break

3. Adjust your computer display settings

Adjust the Brightness of the display so it’s approximately the same as the Brightness as your surroundings.

Adjust the Text Size and Contrast for comfort, especially when reading or composing long documents.

If possible, use your display settings to reduce the colour temperature of your screen or, turn on Blue light filter (Samsung), Night mode (One Plus), Night Shift (iPhone and Mac) & Night light (Laptop, windows 10).

4. Minimize glare and reflections

Install an anti-glare screen protector; if you wear glasses, purchase lenses with blue ray protection (Blue-cut lenses).

5. Modify your workstation

Centre your computer screen at arms-length and slightly below your eye level. This helps you keep your back straight, and helps you maintain a proper distance from your screen.

Also, adjust your chair so your feet can rest comfortably on the floor.

👀 👓 👀

©All rights reserved.

Follow us on ▶️ Facebook