The Impact of Technology and Screen Time on Dry Eye

People’s screen time has increased worldwide. After the pandemic, people were forced to shift to a digital lifestyle, with adults working from home and students switching to online classes. Those stuck at home alone can only communicate with family and friends virtually. This increase in digital use also drastically affects everyone’s health.

How Screen Time Affects the Eyes

Over the last few years, many ophthalmologists have seen an increase in people complaining about achy eyes, blurred vision, and headaches. According to research, this is because people spend more time in front of their mobile devices, increasing the risk of eye strain or dry eye. However, contrary to what some people believe, screens don’t produce UV rays.

Newer screens don’t usually have UV rays, which come from the sun and are the most damaging light. The light that screens produce and is the most likely to cause dry eye is the short-term, high-energy blue light. The good news, though, is that it isn’t typically serious. You can mostly solve this problem if you look away from the screen for a few minutes.

The consensus is blue light does not cause any long-term vision problems. However, eye doctors still recommend avoiding excessive use of digital devices. Otherwise, you might soon experience a nagging pain behind your eyes, as well as multiple other symptoms of eye fatigue, such as:

• Dry, itchy, watery, or burning eyes.
• Blurred vision.
• Difficulty in keeping your eyes open.
• Dull ache around the eyes.
• Increased light sensitivity.
• Trouble concentrating.

Eye fatigue is often not a serious problem, but it can be irritating and hinder your work. Besides increased screen use, various things can cause eye fatigue or dry eye. However, it is most often associated with screen use today due to prolonged use of digital devices, causing people to blink less frequently and thus get fewer tears to lubricate the eyes.

Dry Eye and How to Avoid It

Blue light exposure is not the only cause of dry eye. Digital eye strain can be due to reading for too long. It can be because you concentrated too hard on something that made you blink less and your eyes dry. No matter the reason, though, the main factor that causes dry eye is the length of your exposure.

Your eyes dried because you stared too long at the screen, book, or other objects. You can avoid and treat eye fatigue and dry eye by making lifestyle changes, using eye drops, and wearing protective glasses, such as anti-radiation and anti-blue light computer glasses. As for lifestyle changes, try:

• Sitting properly in front of your computer. You can reduce your eye strain with the right posture and proper distancing from your device.
• Lighting your workplace correctly. Ensure the light is level in your room and around the same as the light coming from your screen.
• Practicing the 20-20-20 rule. The rule says to take a break from using your computer every 20 minutes, staring at something 20 feet away from you for at least 20 seconds.

These techniques, along with the computer glasses and the eye drops, should help ease the strain in your eyes. You can also put an anti-blue light screen protector on your screens, reducing the bright light that affects your eyes.

Learn more ways to protect your eyes from dry eyes by calling Frame & Focus Eye Care at (832) 664-7900 or visiting our clinic in Richmond, Texas.