Eye strain caused by staring at a computer screen all day can cause headaches and in some cases it can even affect your vision.
Vanessa Ho-Yan, a leading optometrist at the 20/20 Optical Store in London shares some tips on how to avoid eye strain and its associated problems.
Computers can produce eye strain because your eye muscles get locked when you stare at a screen for long periods of time. This can cause your eye muscles to cramp up.
Try it now: if you’ve been staring at your screen for a long time and suddenly look away into the distance, it can take a few seconds for your eyes to adjust.
So what can be done to avoid eye strain?
Vanessa suggests exercising your eyes by alternating your focus between something close up and something far away.
‘Look at something in the distance until it becomes clear. Preferably look out of the window if you’re lucky enough to have a view – otherwise, pick something on the other side of the room. Then look back at a piece of paper.
It will take a while for your focus to adjust each time, but carry on until you can refocus instantly. Try and do this every hour’.
If you cannot do these exercises, you could also try and avoid eye strain by periodically looking away from your computer screen for 20 seconds.
Another thing that can help is occasionally rubbing your hands together and cupping them over your eyes. This can offer some symptomatic relief.
If your eye strain becomes a severe problem, you should probably make an appointment to see your optometrist to see if you need to wear glasses.
