Have you ever been looking at your laptop screen for a long time, only to get a headache or perhaps blurry vision? That’s digital eye strain.
With more of us working on digital screens than ever before, some spending up to 8 hours a day, it’s clear that staring at our screens all day can affect our vision.
Luckily, there are some things we can do to mitigate the effects of digital eye strain like wearing special glasses for looking at screens. These glasses have computer lenses with magnification and anti-reflective coatings or blue light computer glass to block light emitted from these digital screens.
Our guide below will explore everything you need to know about digital eye strain, the best computer glasses to protect your eyes, and where to buy them.
What Is The Digital Eye Strain?
Digital eye strain is also known as computer vision syndrome (CVS). It’s a collection of vision and eye problems that happen as a result of prolonged screen usage, this could be anything from your phone, tablet, or laptop.
More of us are starting to notice just how much staring at our screens can affect our vision since working at home and increasing social media usage. It’s been reported that at least 60% of men and 65% of American women have reported symptoms of CVS.
It’s also been found that in contact lens wearers CVS was reported in 65% of people compared to 50% of non-contact users.
Most of the time CVS is caused by your eyes flexing in and out of different focus levels while looking at the screen, we also tend to blink less often, which can cause irritation and dryness.
Some common symptoms of digital eye strain are -
Headaches.
Tired or sore eyes.
Trouble focusing your eyes.
Red or teary eyes.
Dryness.
Blurry vision.
Neck or back pain.
Who’s At Risk Of Digital Eye Strain?
Nearly all of us are at risk for digital eye strain if we spend more than two hours daily on a device with a screen. This is regardless of age.
These are some other risks that can also make digital eye strain more likely -
Poor lighting - Eye strain can increase if you're trying to view your screen in a poorly lit environment since it can worsen the glare.
Bad posture - Having bad posture, tight shoulders, a tilted head or a hunched back can increase eye strain since it can decrease blood flow and impulse connection with your eyes over time.
Improper screen distance - Your computer screen should be about 20-28 inches away from your face, if too far or too close your eyes will have to work harder to see what's on it.
Uncorrected vision issues - Underlying vision problems that haven’t been corrected with glasses or contact lenses can worsen eye fatigue.
Do Computer Glasses Help With Eye Strain?
Luckily, some glasses help with computer screens and reduce eye fatigue. Computer screen glasses typically have two properties that help with digital eye strain; magnification and lenses.
Magnification & Distance
Computer protection eyeglasses are often magnified to accommodate the average distance between eyes and a computer screen which is around 20-28 inches.
This helps reduce eye fatigue since your eyes don’t constantly have to focus as much, similar to reading glasses. Magnification can be found in prescription computer glasses and regular glasses for computer screens.
Lenses & Coatings
Eyeglasses for computer use often have computer lenses with anti-reflective and anti-glare coatings. Anti-reflective coatings on glasses for laptop screens help reduce reflections while anti-glare coatings help harsh light that can tire your eyes over time.
At GlassesShop we can customize your glasses for computer screens based on your individual needs, whether you need progressive computer glasses or reading glasses for your computer.
The Role Of Specialized Eyewear For Digital Eye Fatigue
Apart from computer monitor glasses, you can also find blue light glasses and gaming glasses which can help to reduce screen fatigue.
Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Blue light-blocking glasses are equipped with blue light lenses that protect your eyes from the harmful effects of blue light emitted from screens. These can help with eye strain, sleep disruption when working late, and digital eye fatigue.
If you need a prescription, you can find them available with a prescription to help correct your vision and reduce digital eye fatigue. You can also find them as non-prescription blue light-blocking glasses which are often more affordable and convenient if you don’t need vision correction.
Blue light-blocking glasses are also available as Blue Light Pro which has enhanced lens coatings and materials for glare reduction, making them safe for driving.
Photochromic blue light glasses provide UV and HEV light protection and glare reduction.
Gaming Glasses
These types of glasses for gaming are designed for people who game for long hours and, therefore, stare at a screen for long periods. They reduce glare from TV screens or monitors and block harmful blue light when you buy blue-light gaming glasses.
Computer Glasses Vs Other Types Of Glasses
Computer Glasses Vs Regular Glasses
Regular glasses are great for addressing general vision issues and correcting vision by giving more clarity. They do not provide the same benefits as computer glasses however which are designed for people spending long periods working in front of screens and reducing eye fatigue.
Computer Glasses Vs Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Both blue light filter glasses and computer glasses have benefits when working with screens but computer glasses are specifically designed for use with devices while blue light glasses have more general use.
The best computer glasses will have blue light-blocking properties but address a wider range of vision issues.
Computer Glasses Vs Reading Glasses
Since computer glasses have magnification to help reduce eye strain, many wonder if you can wear reading glasses instead for the same effect.
Reading glasses for computer screens should not be used, since computer glasses have specific magnification levels for screens.
How Can I Protect My Eyes From Computer Strain?
For many of us, staring at a digital screen for long periods is part of our job, which means we need to find ways to protect our eyes from our screens.
These are some ways we recommend protecting your eyes -
Choose the right computer glasses - Some factors to consider in the best computer eye strain glasses are the purpose, lenses, coatings, and where you will be wearing them.
Follow the 20-20-20 rule - Every 20 minutes take a small break from your screen and look at objects 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Blink more - This helps stop the surface of your eyes from drying out when staring at your screen for long periods.
Adjust brightness and contrast - Avoid having your screen too bright since this can force your eyes to work harder. Increasing the contrast on your screen can help improve clarity.
Optimize your position when working - You should be sitting around 25 inches (an arm's length) away from your computer screen when working.
Use preventative methods - Regular eye exams can help ensure your vision is healthy and vision therapy can also help to improve symptoms of eye strain with eye exercises.
GlassesShop offers affordable, high-quality prescription glasses and sunglasses with customized lenses and frames.
We stock everything from computer blue light-blocking glasses to reading glasses. If it’s your first time buying glasses for eye fatigue, use our fit and shape quiz and virtual try-on tool to get a feel for how your computer glasses look before buying.
If you would prefer to try your eyeglasses on at home we have a try-before-you-buy service, allowing you to order up to five pairs for trying on before you make a final decision.
We currently have a buy one get one free deal, free shipping over $69, and 30-day exchange and return with a 365-day guarantee for all our purchases at GlassesShop.
Shop for your computer glasses here.