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9 Methods to Prevent Digital Eye Strain When Doing Computer Work

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There’s such a thing as digital eye strain, and it affects at least 50% of all computer users.

But that’s not all. Here are a few more eye-opening (sorry) statistics:

80% of American adults say they use their digital devices for no less than two hours every day. More than two-thirds of these people even use multiple devices at the same time!

No wonder then that 59% of them suffer from digital eye strain symptoms. No wonder too that many of these sufferers are webmasters and programmers.

Our point is, all that computer work is killing your eyes. But that doesn’t mean you should quit being a developer or coder. There are plenty of ways to prevent computer vision syndrome.

That’s what we’ll share with you today, so, read on to give your eyes a relief from tiredness and pain!

1. Follow the 20-20-20 Eye Exercise Rule

After 20 minutes of staring at your computer, look away from it. Direct your gaze at an object sitting no less than 20 feet from you. Gaze at this object for at least 20 seconds.

This 20-20-20 rule may not bring your 20-20 vision back, but it’ll help reduce eye fatigue. That’s because looking at a distant object helps relax your eyes’ focusing muscle. Turn this into a habit, and you’ll feel less strain and pain in your eyes.

2. Add the 10-15 Eye Exercise to Your Computer Work Regimen

Add some variation to your eye exercises to help you keep vision problems at bay. The 10-15 rule is a perfect example.

It involves looking at a distant object for at least 10 to 15 seconds. After which, you look at something real close for another 10 to 15 seconds. Then, direct your eyes back to the far away object, for another 10 to 15 seconds.

Repeat this exercise for no less than 10 times. That’ll take less than three minutes, whereas pain from eye fatigue can last you for days.

It can help ease eye strain after working for hours on your computer. It does so by minimizing your risks for “accommodative spasm”. It’s a condition that results in the “locking up” of the eyes’ focusing ability due to hours of computer work.

3. Take Mini-Breaks

When you’re about to launch a website, all you want to do is to finish checking everything off that checklist. We totally get you, believe us.

But it wouldn’t hurt to take mini-breaks in between. In fact, what could hurt you is not taking breaks and sitting for prolonged periods of time.

That’s right! Health experts say sitting too much can affect your metabolic health. This sedentary behavior can even increase your risks for diabetes and heart disease.

As if that’s not enough, sitting while staring at the computer for too long also paves the way for eye strain. Soon enough, you’ll feel that dreaded pounding in your brain – you’ve got an eyestrain headache!

So as much as possible, take a break after 30 minutes of sitting. If you forget your 20-20-20 exercise, these mini-breaks are a perfect substitute. Even the simple act of standing up and stretching is enough to prevent irritated eyes.

4. Frequent Winks and Blinks

It’s hard not to want to blink as you’re measuring page load times. After all, you want to know right away if your web pages meet the 3-second page loading benchmark. You want to make sure you prevent that 53% chance of page abandonment due to slow-loading pages.

That’s not enough reason to abandon the health of your eyes though. It’s important you blink as often as you could while working on your computer. Doing so keeps your eyes moisturized, which prevents dryness, irritation, and redness.

5. Brighten Up Your Monitor

Flickering in your monitor can put more stress on the eyes, leading to eyestrains. Strained eyes are almost always a precursor to painful headaches.

If your eyes feel tired, that’s a sign you should turn your monitor’s brightness setting up a notch. A brighter monitor has a lower flicker rate, which then helps reduce eye fatigue.

Plus, a bright monitor also helps the pupils to constrict better. This leads to an improved range of focus. As such, your eyes need to accommodate less, which helps you work more comfortably.

Keep in mind that eye discomfort can also be a result of incorrectly-worn contact lenses. If they’re inside out, that can tire your eyes out even more! So, be careful when putting them on, and check out this guide to wearing contact lenses to learn more.

6. Keep Glare at Bay

A dusty monitor increases glare, so make sure you keep yours clean at all times. An anti-glare screen can also help reduce eye-straining glare.

7. Light Up the Right Way

Too much external light can increase glare from your computer monitor. To prevent this, opt for incandescent lighting rather than high-intensity bulbs. Adding dim lights on either or both sides of your computer can also help.

8. Follow the 15-20 Degree Monitor Rule

We’re talking about the best position for computer monitors to avoid eyestrain. Set up your screen in such a way it sits no more (and no less) than 15 to 20 degrees below eye level. Also, make sure it’s about 20 to 28 inches away from your eyes.

9. Upgrade Your Monitor

The sharper and crisper the images, the less strain they place on the eyes. So, if you’re still using a non-HD computer monitor, it’s time you upgrade.

Don’t Let Your Eyes Cost You Your Wallet and Your Job

All in all, eye diseases cost the nation $139 billion in economic burden. That includes digital strain since it’s a form of vision disorder. That’s why you should implement these preventive measures while hard at computer work.

Besides, you don’t want your output to suffer, do you? Since web dev and coding are all digital, protecting your eyes should be at the top of your priorities. This way, you can keep your websites up, running, and quick-loading, headache-free.

Speaking of websites and web dev, our blog has more tips on these topics that you may want to check out!