7 Tips to Avoid "Digital Eyestrain"

Today's Technological Eye Problem

With computers, tablets and smart phones dominating our lives both at work and home, Digital Eyestrain is fast becoming a common problem for many of us. In fact, according to the American Optometric Association, vision and eye problems are now being reported in 70 to 75% of workers who use computers.

If you yourself are experiencing one or more of the conditions that Digital Eyestrain produces such as: Headaches, Eye Pain, Redness, Watering, Double Vision and Loss of Focus; Dr. Edward Kondrot, founder of the Healing the Eye & Wellness Center, recommends performing the following exercises to help ease the strain:

1) Take a break. Take frequent 15 minute breaks and focus your eyes on a distant object across the room. This will give the focusing muscle a chance to relax.

2) Try palming . This is essentially meditation for the eyes. To do this, you will close your eyes and place the centers of your palms over your eyes. Take deep slow breaths and relax your eye muscles.This is a wonderful way to rejuvenate your eyes during those long computer projects. Keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. Tension in this area will cause a tension in your eyes. An occasional neck and shoulder massage will also work wonders.

3) Blink frequently . When doing demanding digital work, your blink rate decreases. A conscious effort should be made to blink lightly every 10 to 15 seconds. This will coat the cornea, or front part of the eye, to nourish your eye with oxygen and nutrients -- and the coating of tears will also sharpen your vision.

4) Wear computer glasses. Use a pair of computer glasses and work at the proper distance -- 20 to 28 inches, depending on the focal point of the eye. Computer glasses have a different focal point than reading glasses. This will reduce the effort of focusing and putting a strain on your eyes. The extra effort to focus will cause tension in the eye muscles, which in addition to causing eye discomfort can lead to an increase in eye pressure.

5) Keep your monitor bright. This will reduce the flicker rate of the computer and reduce fatigue. Flickering can lead to eyestrain and headaches. A bright monitor causes the pupil to constrict and a greater range of focus will result. This will reduce the need for your eye to accommodate and enable you to work longer with more comfort.

6) Take vitamins and minerals. Considering that the eyes have one of the highest energy requirements in the body, it is important that they get proper amounts of vitamins and minerals. It is important to opt for a vitamin that offers key antioxidants and ingredients that will help improve the health of the eye and reduce eyestrain. Those can include vitamins A, C, and E with a B complex and zinc.

7) Increase the light. Not having a light on when you are using the computer (or television) can put more of a strain on your eyes. Be sure to have a light on to help reduce the strain.