How To Keep Your Eyes Safe When Using Your Laptop And Phone
It is important to protect eyes from screens, especially in the 21st century where everyone has a phone, computer— or both. There are a lot of people who work from home using these gadgets. And then, we have the tech bros and tech sis who seemingly cannot tear themselves away from these gadgets.
However, prolonged use of these gadgets can hurt your eyes.
That is why this article will be teaching you 12 ways you can protect your eyes from screens— mobile or computer. Apparently, you are reading this from a screen, so start now to implement these tips.
Before we go on to the tips, let us take a look at some of the effects of staring at your screen all day or for a prolonged time. Do not panic, just make sure to take care of your eyes with the tips you’ll be given.
● Blurred vision
● Eye strain (also called Asthenopia)
● Vision problems like Nearsightedness
● Dry eyes
● Headache
● Neck/shoulder pain
● Long term, it could even damage your vision completely
All these effects can be summed up with the term “Digital Eye Strain” (DES). It is a variety of eye conditions (like the ones mentioned above) caused by the prolonged use of digital devices like phones and computers. Other names for it are Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and Vision Fatigue (VF).
Symptoms of Digital Eye Strain
Some of the pointers that a person has Digital Eye Strain are as follows:
● Water dripping from your eyes
● Irritation of the eyes
● Sore and itching eyes
● Your eyes become a lot more sensitive to light
● You struggle to keep your eyes open
● Concentration becomes hard
So, you see that you are putting yourself at great risk by always focusing on your screens and not giving your eyes a breather. We understand that you are a tech bro or tech sis, and you have a lot of things to do. But you also have to take care of yourself, too— and in this case, your eyes.
Ways To Protect Your Eyes From Screens.
For easy grasp, we’ll section this into two parts: Mobile Screens and Computer Screens.
Protecting Your Eyes from Mobile Screens
Night Mode/Eye Care
These are two features of modern mobile phones. Android and other phone models have these features and they were put there for something. More importantly, the Eye Care feature will help protect your eyes from the unhealthy blue light that is emitted from the screen of your smartphone.
Good Room Lighting
It is advisable to use your phone in a properly lit room, and not a dark one. However, let the lighting the moderate. Do not have too much light in the room. Preferably, get ambient lights because they give warm and mill lighting. You could even cover it with a diffuser if it is still too harsh.
Keep a Reasonable Distance
You don’t have to put your phone right in your face to be sure you’re operating it. Keep a safe distance. In the case of eye care, the farther, the better.
Blink Often
It is very easy to forget to constantly blink when staring at your phone screen. You just keep staring and staring. C’mon, try dey blink. Blinking will help you reduce eye strain.
Where Are Your Anti-Reflective Screen Protectors?
Use them. Exactly! These cheap, yet, effective screen protectors will give you the old-screen LCD finish. As screen protectors, they help protect both your screen and your eyes. Wonderful, aren’t they?
Rest
Yes, rest. Take some time off. Once in a while, try to rest your eyes and entire body. You may have things to do, but your eyes need rest, too. Use discretion to know when to rest.
Protecting Your Eyes from Computer Screens
Use the 20-20-20 Rule
This rule states that for every 20 minutes that you stare at your computer screen, you should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Doing this will help you reduce eye strain.
Artificial Tears
These are eye drops that will help keep your eyes lubricated, and stop them from being
dry. Find the one(s) you like. You can also find them over the counter.
Reduce Blue Light
Indeed, blue light is harmful to your eyes and you should reduce them. You can do this either by toning down on the color temperature of your computer or using specialist glasses.
Eye Level
When using your computer, don’t look up at the screen. Instead, look down at it at about 15-20 degree angle. By doing this, your eyeballs are covered by your eyelids and will also help to keep your eyes moisturized and prevent dryness.
Clean off Dust from Your Computer Screen
You know that when a screen is dirty, it affects the sharpness and contrast of your computer screen. It then makes you believe that the screen is dark when it is not. This exposes you to more unhealthy screen lights. To avoid this, make sure you clean off even the smallest layer of dust.
Eye Examinations
Do not joke with your eye exams. They’ll help keep you up-to-date on how better you could care for your eyes.
Final Thoughts
To wrap it up, bear in mind that the tips for both mobile and computer screens are interwoven. You can use some of the tips for computer screens for phone screens— and vice versa.
“Health is Wealth”, so take your eye health seriously, especially as a techie who is always using
their digital devices.
Also, know just when to stop. If you notice even the littlest symptoms of Digital Eye Strain,
call/meet your ophthalmologist immediately. You can’t do much without your eyes.
Finally, take the tips in this article seriously, have regular eye exams (you don’t have to notice
DES symptoms before you do).
Moreover, if you already have eye strains and don’t know how to manage it, here is how to reduce eye strain in the digital workspace.
