11th, February 2019 | Oh Jinna
These Things Can Help You Prevent Eye Strain
Just like your body, your eyes also get tired when they are overused. This intentional or unintentional overuse of your eyes may result in eye strain.
What is eye strain?
Eye strain is also called as asthenopia. Asthenopia is a common eye condition, but people who constantly use their eyes intensely for a prolonged period of time are more prone to this condition.
Symptoms
People who have eye strain may experience headache, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, irritability, poor concentration, etc.
If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your eye doctor immediately.
Causes of Eye Strain
You may not realize it, but some of your normal everyday activities may cause your eyes to be strained. Here are some activities that may strain your eyes without you realizing it:
Prolonged Exposure to Digital Gadgets
In a fast-paced world, digital gadgets make people’s lives easier and more fun. These gadgets include phones, computers, tablets, etc. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, there will always be a reason to use these gadgets. But, do you know that too much exposure to these gadgets may cause digital eye strain?
If you have digital eye strain, you may experience headache, irritated eyes, eye fatigue after staring at your gadgets for too long. This happens because the small texts and the pixelated images in your digital devices will cause your eyes to work twice as hard in order to focus.
The high-energy visible (HEV) light, also known as blue light, that your digital devices emit may also make your eye strain worse.
Aside from the bad effects that prolonged exposure to gadgets do to your eyes, you may also experience back, neck, and should pain if you’re using your gadgets for too long and at a very bad or awkward position.
To know more about how digital gadgets cause eye strain, read more.
Reading for a Long Period of Time
For some people, reading is a great way to pass the time. The genre of the book doesn’t really matter because bookworms will always find time to snuggle up and read their favorite book while sipping a cup of coffee or tea. But do you know that reading for a long period of time may strain your eyes?
The small texts on books may be one of the causes of eye strain. As mentioned, the small texts on the books will cause your eyes to work twice as hard in order to focus. Reading a book with small texts for a long period of time is another story, but it will definitely still cause eye strain.
Also, staring at something for too long will cause your eyes to dry. Dry eye is another symptom of eye strain and it can be very uncomfortable.
The lighting of your reading environment may also contribute to the your eye strain.
Driving
Road trips are fun, but less so when you’re the driver. When you’re driving, you need to put your utmost attention on the road to become aware of your surroundings.
Your full attention on the road will also ensure your safety and the safety of your passengers. In driving, you will be relying greatly on your eyes to look at the road ahead, street signs, stop lights, and incoming vehicles.
There are several reasons how eye strain may be caused by driving. First, the air conditioner on your car may cause your eyes to dry. Your eyes will easily be strained if your air conditioner’s coldness level is set to the maximum and is directed toward you.
Second, the bright lights from natural or artificial sources may also cause your eyes to become dry and irritated. It’s even more challenging when you’re driving at night, because you may find it difficult to adjust your eyes from the bright headlights and the dim or dark surroundings.
How to Prevent Eye Strain
Eye strain may worsen and lead to other eye problems, so it is advisable to prevent it from happening or worsening.
Here are a few tips to prevent eye strain:
Limit the time that you spend on your gadgets.
Allow your eyes to rest from the strain caused by the small text size and blue light emitted by your gadgets. Reducing the time that you spend on your gadget will also give you more time to enjoy life.
Use your free time to socialize, travel, or do something that you love. This article discusses why digital devices are the number one reason of eye strain.
Be mindful of the font size of texts.
Small font size causes eye strain because your eyes need to do so much in order to focus. Increasing the font size of the texts in your gadgets or reading books with larger text font size may help in preventing eye strain.
Have a substitute driver.
When doing long drives, it is better to have a substitute driver. Having a substitute allows you to rest your eyes and prevent it from straining. This also helps so that you can rest well and not be sleepy on the road.
Wear sunglasses.
Wearing sunglasses protects your eyes from the harmful UV light of the sun that may damage sensitive cells in your eyes. Sunglasses also protect your eyes from glare which is caused by excessive brightness.
Wearing sunglasses is also extremely helpful especially when you’re driving. There may be several other factors that may cause eye strain when you’re driving, but glare and excessive brightness should not be one of them.
Be mindful of the air conditioner.
Cold air from the air conditioner may dry your eyes. Dry eyes may lead to irritation. When you’re driving, try to lower the temperature of the air conditioner and direct it away from your face.
A little bit of humidity or an average coldness is better that suffering from dry eyes and irritation.
Try the 20-20-20 break.
A 20-20-20 break is an effective way to prevent eye strain. It’s very simple! When you’re doing something for a long period of time, such as reading, take a 20-second break every 20 minutes, and then look at something 20 feet away.
Take frequent breaks.
If it’s impossible to do the 20-20-20 break, at least try to take frequent breaks to allow your eyes to relax and be refreshed. This method is most effective when you’re studying, reading, or working in front of your computer.
Aside from the positive effects of frequent breaks to your eyes, there are other reasons why you should take breaks frequently. Frequent breaks when driving long distances can reduce physical fatigue.
Also, frequent breaks are great not only for your eyes but also for your mental health. They prevent burnout and eye strain. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone.
Never forget to have enough hours of sleep.
Other people think that all-nighters are fun. Others just do not have any choice but to pull an all-nighter. Do you know that not having enough sleep may contribute to the causes eye strain?
Always remember to make sleep your topmost priority. Know the recommended number of sleeping hours depending on your age range and do your best to have enough rest everyday.
You may look up the recommended number of sleeping hours for your age in this website.
Practice some eye exercises.
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In a fast-paced world, you may have the tendency to be too busy that you might not have the time to squeeze in exercise in your everyday schedule.
But, since your eyes are essential parts of your body, why don’t you allocate a few minutes of your day for some eye exercises?
These exercises may not only improve the current state eyesight, it may also prevent other common eye diseases or eye conditions for happening.
To know more about eye exercises and other remedies for your eye health, read NINE USEFUL TIPS FROM EXPERTS ABOUT HOME REMEDIES FOR EYE HEALTH.
Visit your eye doctor.
If you experience any of the symptoms of eye strain, it is advisable to visit a licensed eye doctor immediately and undergo eye exams.
Who knows, maybe the symptoms of eye strain that you are experiencing may be the same symptoms of a worse and bigger eye disease that could be prevented when detected early.
To know more about eye exams, read EYE EXAMS 101: A QUICK GUIDE TO EYE EXAMS AND ITS IMPORTANCE.
Never take your eyesight for granted. When you notice something unusual with your eyesight, make sure to consult your doctor before the condition worsens.
Resources:
http://eyewiki.aao.org/Asthenopia#Etiologyh
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/Ophthalmology/comprehensive/EyeStrain.pdf
https://www.allaboutvision.com/cvs/irritated.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eyestrain/symptoms-causes/syc-20372397
https://www.thevisioncouncil.org/content/driving-eye-strain/adults
https://www.bcm.edu/news/eye/preventing-eye-fatigue-on-long-road-trips
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times
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