Watching too much TV, reading books, staying in front of the computer for a long time are considered dangerous for the eyes by most people. This is because people generally confuse eye-strains for some kind of serious potential damage. In reality, these activities do not cause any permanent damage to the eyes; however, eye-strains are inevitable which could be really irritating.
Eye-strains are common among people of all ages and occurs when they concentrate their vision on a single object for a prolonged period of time. Here are some of the symptoms of eye strain to keep you in-check with your eye conditions.
Signs of Eye-strain
- Headache is inescapable when you face complications in your eyes.
- Remember when you had a non-stop itch in your eyes and faced a sore and burning sensation from time to time? That’s also one of the signs of eye-strain.
- It even gets harder to open our eyes to its full extent.
- Due to eye-strain, eyes get either too watery or really dry.
- Your eyes will be light sensitive.
- There is a good chance your vision might also be blurred when you your eyes are under strain.
- Other signs will include the lack of focus while switching between paper and screen. Also, you are likely to see ‘afterimages’ even when you look away from the screen.
Eye-strain can be alarmingly irritating. Continuous irritation in the eyes can ruin our entire day. At the same time, it is inevitable for some people to stay in front of the screen, whether at work or home. But, eye-strain is not the immediate cause for worry, and it can be treated easily. For most, allowing the eyes to rest for a while instantly takes care of the minute strains.
How to Prevent Eye-Strain?
- Make sure you take regular breaks, even if it’s just for 5 minutes every hour.
- Remember to blink your eyes often to keep your eyes moisturized. This will work even after your eyes have started to feel dry.
- You can also use prescribed eye-drops to moisturize your eyes and avoid other kinds of eye irritations.
- If you use glasses or lens, make sure that they match your eye power, also there are glasses designed specifically for the purpose of using computers.
Things to Remember
No matter how hard you try to take care of your eyes, all efforts will be in vain if you are regularly exposed to the kind of environment which causes great strain to your eyes. The angle you view your computer screen at and the lighting you use while reading has a significant impact on your eyes. You would be wise to keep these things in mind, and adjust your home and work settings accordingly to avoid eye-strains.
- Make sure that you are viewing your monitor at a slightly downward angle.
- Keep your keyboard in front of your monitor while working to avoid any discomfort of having to constantly turn heads or change the angle of viewing.
- Make sure that any and all electronic device with a glowing screen is at least an arm’s length away. This is advised especially while using computer and smart phones.
- Try and avoid reading or doing other activities that require constant vision in dim lights.
- Make sure that while concentrating in books, or any other work, the light is bright and it shines directly on your work.
- Avoid watching movies, or glaring at screen in dark.
- Make sure that the ceiling light and any other light in the room does not fall straight on your eyes, which can intensify the rate of eye-strain.
Keep in mind that if you are constantly suffering from eye-strain despite having taken enough rest, it might not just be random strain. Consult your doctor and sort out the remedy for the problem. Do not jump into any conclusions on your own.