How can increased use of screens affect our eyes?
We often don’t realise how much we take for granted in our lives until something becomes remiss and when it becomes remiss…we really feel it! For years we just look around, see things clearly and don’t give our eyes much thought. Until we start to have a problem that is- irritable eyes, excessive blinking, tired eyes and lack of focus and clarity are all common issues people bring to the attention of their Optometrists.
Digital Eye strain is also known as Computer Vision Syndrome and the two terms are equally known in the eyecare world.
The Digital Comfort Survey, commissioned by Johnson & Johnson Vision, found that, of people in the UK who wear vision correction, 81% use five different digital screens per day and two thirds indicated that the role of screens is detrimental to their eye comfort.
Digital Eye Strain is more prevalent than ever before due to our increased use of devices and screens in our daily lives. Not just VDU in the workplace, but also using our phones and tablets throughout the day.
1. Having regular eye checks at your opticians, at least once every 2 years is a good start. Your optometrist is an expert in giving you advice on how to look after your eyes. Tired eyes, eyes feeling strained and blurry vision can be signs of needing some glasses to help with concentration.
2. Headaches are a common symptom that many digital users describe- this can only be resolved by having an eye test and seeing if you need glasses. Just a note- wearing glasses won’t make your eyes any worse! Lots of people feel that wearing glasses will mean that their eyes are working less hard- this isn’t true. Your eyes shouldn’t have to work hard- that’s the job of your glasses!
3. Invest in a good ergonomic chair for your work space- this will do wonders to ensure your neck and back are fully supported when sitting in an upright position for most of the day. Good posture will reduce neck pain and reduces the risk of headaches too.
4. Adjust the workstation- the ideal position for a screen is at arm’s length and 45 degrees below the visual axis. Ensure that any prescription glasses that are worn are designed for your exact workstation set up. Your optometrist will find it really useful when calculating your prescription if you know how far away your screen is in your working environment.
5. Ensure that any reflections from overhead lighting are minimised with the screen angle adjustment. Sitting next to a window can cause glare reflections on the screen- try and angle the screen away. If you can’t move the screen, have blinds that can be positioned to help reduce the glare reflections.
6. Stay hydrated- that doesn’t mean drink caffeine all day! Caffeine dehydrates you and this can cause issues like dry eyes.
DRY EYES
OK this is so common it needs its own sub-section!
Common symptoms of dry eyes include blurring of vision, burning sensation, prickly eyes, feeling like something is in your eyes, watery eyes and sometimes difficulty in focusing.
Many optometrists report from their patients that longer days in front of a digital device is causing more dry eye symptoms. More than 67% of patients report that the increased use of screen is detrimental to their eye comfort.
By aged 50, the tear film of the eye breaks down 50% faster than someone under 50- this combined with increased digital device use will exacerbate the symptoms of dry eye and variable vision quality.
The use of VDU devices in our daily lives has shown an increase in issues being presented to optometrists. When looking at a digital screen, we blink 60% less, which can destabilise the tear film, affecting comfort and vision. (1,2)
The more you use a VDU screen, the more you concentrate and your blink rate is reduced. Your blink rate is defined by the number of times you blink in a minute. We blink a lot less when we concentrate on something and VDU users are no exception to this rule. The reason to blink is to remove bacteria and refresh your tears- if you don’t blink for 30-40 seconds, your tears have evaporated and not been replaced with a blink, causing your eyes to feel sore, stinging and irritable.
Many optometrists encourage the 20/20/20 rule:
Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This encourages the VDU user to look away from the screen and help relax their eye muscles.
Another great tip is to encourage a forced blink every time you press the Enter key on your keyboard- this might sound crazy but it really helps!
Constant focusing on a VDU screen causes your eye muscles to work really hard- imagine being asked to hold a cup in an outstretched arm for 30-40 minutes! Your arm muscles would be tired and your eyes are no different! Regular breaks away from your screen are hugely helpful to help your eye muscles to relax and “reset”.
TOP TIPS TO MANAGE DRY EYES AND IMPROVE OVERALL EYE COMFORT
1. Start implementing the 20/20/20 rule into your daily life. For every 20 minutes you use a screen, look away at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Putting a reminder in your phone is a good way to help build this habit.
2. Try to space things away from your desk to encourage you to leave your desk. For example, don’t have your printer within arms reach- push it away so that you have to get up and move across to the printer. Even these small breaks away from the screen will add up through the day. The same principle applies to pushing away your waste paper basket or books that you need to reference perhaps.
3. Put a sticky tab reminder on around your screen to remind yourself to blink whenever you hit the Space or Enter button on your keyboard. Blinking helps to refresh your tears.
4. Use lubricating eye drops recommended by your optometrist- they act like a moisturiser, not a medication. Once a day won’t be enough- at least 4 times a day will be needed, in order for them to make a real difference. If the eye drops you have aren’t making a difference- go back and see your optometrist and discuss other options.
5. Ensure the atmosphere that your workspace is set up in isn’t too dry- air conditioning and heating can exacerbate dry eye symptoms. If your work environment is very dry, place a bowl of water on the floor, to help keep moisture in the atmosphere (when the water evaporates, it stays in the atmosphere, acting like a humidifier).
6. Ideal lighting in your workplace should be nothan the actual screen. Ideal lighting will naturally reduce eye fatigue. So no more working in the dark, late at night, like they do in the movies!
BLUE LIGHT AND YOUR EYES
Blue light device usage is on the rise ever since lockdown and isn’t showing signs of slowing down. There are different schools of thought when it comes to the impact of blue light devices and benefits of blue light blockers; the jury is out. I have many patients who swear by having a blue light blocking coating on their glasses when they are at a screen all day. They find it helps their eyes feel less tired after using a VDU screen all day.
However, the official line from the College of Optometrists is ‘The best scientific evidence currently available does not support the use of blue-blocking spectacle lenses in the general population to improve visual performance, alleviate the symptoms of eye fatigue or visual discomfort, improve sleep quality or conserve macula health.’
To summarise, if you like having a blue light coating on your specs and you feel it helps- carry on! If you havent felt any benefit then perhaps it isn’t worth reinvesting the next time you get specs. A bigger win to help relieve tired eyes is simply to have device free time and take many more regular breaks from your screens.
Our ever involving use of devices in our lives can mean that we often forget to look after our eyes and we just keep on going. As homeworkers, it’s important to build in regular breaks in your working day, just like you would in a formal office environment. Making small changes can make a big difference to our visual comfort and having regular eye tests with your local optometrist will help you maintain your productivity and overall wellbeing. We only get one set of eyes!
References:
Tsubota K, Nakamori K. Dry eyes and video display terminals. N Engl J Med. 1993;328(8):584. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199302253280817
Patel S, Henderson R, Bradley L, et al. Effect of visual display unit use on blink rate and tear stability. Optom Vis Sci 1991;68(11):888-892. doi:1097/00006324-199111000