You may know that on average we look at our smartphones, tablets or TV screens for almost five hours every day. And we glance at our mobile phones as many as 80 times a day! And these figures are set to rise in the future.

In just a fraction of a second our eyes must move between something in the distance to small displays, from tiny fonts and tightly packed information and back again. This place extreme strain on the ciliary muscle and the lens of the eye must constantly re-adapt to ensure that what we see is clearly focused.

Headache and neck strain, burning or tired eyes may be the result, particularly as we get older. In Germany, for example, 50 percent of the population suffer from one or more of these symptoms, i.e. from visual stress.
Staring at bright screens the whole day expose your eyes to harmful blue light.

Frequent use of digital devices can cause a range of eye and vision problems. As the experts put it: Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Symptoms include: eyestrain, tired eyes, blurred vision, headaches and neck or shoulder pain.

Here are our top ten advice points to help protect your eyes against CVS.

• Take breaks: Resting your eyes helps keep them moist. Use the 20-20-20 rule, by taking a 20 second screen break every 20 minutes to look at objects 20 feet away from you.
• Think bigger: Increase font size when reading on-screen. Don’t keep devices too close to your eyes so that you don’t have to squint.
• Stay clean: A clean screen boosts visibility. Wipe your screen over at least once a day.
• Set screens: Adjust brightness, resolution and contrast for better clarity and comfort. Where possible, avoid using devices in bright sunlight.
• Cut glare: Keep monitors away from windows – and never face a window when using a computer. Consider using anti reflective lenses if you wear prescription glasses.
• Keep blinking: Staring at a screen makes us blink less often, which dries out the eyes. Blinking moistens the eyes, reducing dryness and irritation.
• Drop in: Use drops to help keep your eyes moist, especially if you wear contact lenses.
• Eat healthy: Omega 3 oils lubricate the eyes. We find these in flaxseed oil and some fish. You can also take them as supplements.
• Blue light: Blue light is all around us. It is emitted by the sun and artificial light sources. Be aware of over-exposure to this type of light!

Blue light is made up of two parts: the turquoise part has many health benefits whereas with UV rays, overexposure to blue-violet light can be harmful to the eyes. By choosing the right lenses for everyday work on your device you are protecting your eyes daily and maintain your long-term eye health.

At the same time, it lets in the good light that regulates sleep and mood which in turn boosts brain activity.

Don’t let the rays fool you!

If you have more question, please do not hesitate to call me.

Love Your Eyes

Elke Smit

Elke is the owner of Eyestyle Optometrist. Her passion is to promote eye health and eye care but she is even more passionate about the people behind the eyes. The most important factor is good eyesight which gives us the ability to see the beauty in all things around us.

Your eyes are the window to your soul and most spectacle wearers wear their glasses for the better part of the day.

Choosing the appropriate eyewear is not always easy! Eyewear should feel comfortable, and suitable for everyday challenges.