Computers, telephones and other screens have taken up more and more space in our daily lives in recent decades. 4 out of 10 people spend at least six hours a day in front of a screen, and young people are no exception.
You may be wondering why spending so many hours behind your screen is a problem. Although working on a screen gives you a lot of knowledge and is undoubtedly necessary for your job, it can cause eye strain. So the question is: how to fix it?
Dry eyes caused by computer work
On average, we blink our eyes every five seconds to keep them well lubricated. This is a natural reflex of the body, which allows the eyes to stay clean and not dry out. However, research has shown that we only blink every 20 seconds on average when we are behind a screen (for a long period of time) such as during lessons or revision. In other words, almost four times longer! It is therefore not surprising that working behind a screen can lead to dry eyes. Additionally, people who wear contact lenses are more affected than those who wear glasses or who do not wear contact lenses. Symptoms you may experience include a burning sensation, blurred vision, or red eyes.
How to prevent or reduce dry eyes?
If you suffer from dry eyes, we advise you to take certain things into account in the future. First of all, it helps to take breaks more often, during which you look away from your screen. So don’t pick up your phone when you take a break from studying, but rather leave your screens. This way, your eyes will be able to rest and you will blink more often to regain good lubrication. It’s also beneficial to blink more often when working on your laptop, as you’ll tend to blink four times less. It’s also possible to adjust the screen brightness to a single level, so your eyes don’t have to constantly adjust to different brightness.
Solutions for dry eyes
Do you find that the tips above are not enough to provide good lubrication to your eyes? You then have two possibilities. First, you can buy eye drops to moisturize your eyes. Eye drops are an artificial tear that keeps your eye from drying out. Contact lens wearers can also purchase special lenses for dry eyes. They generally have a low water content, which allows oxygen to reach your eyes more easily than with traditional contact lenses. The fact of wearing monthly lenses or daily may also be important. If you don’t properly care for your monthly lenses, your eyes will suffer. THE daily contact lenses are more hygienic and the comfort of your eyes is therefore better.
A visit to the optician
Do you feel like the above solutions aren’t working or do you have questions about lenses for dry eyes? If in doubt, it is always useful to consult your optician. You may have other problems or this specialist can help you choose lenses suitable for dry eye. There are many types and sizes of lenses, suitable for everyone’s eyes. Do you prefer to buy your contact lenses online? In this case too, you can seek advice from your optician, who will help you choose new lenses without difficulty.
