In today’s digital age, many of us spend more time using screens than ever before. We’re clocking countless hours in front of screens for work, leisure, and communication. Unfortunately, digital screen use has led to eye strain becoming more and more prevalent. But how do you know if you have eye strain?
Eye strain feels a lot like your eyes are physically tired. Eye strain can cause headaches and migraines, and can even lead to back and shoulder pain, dizziness, vertigo, and nausea. It can affect all aspects of your life until symptoms recede, making it crucial to take steps to avoid developing eye strain.
There may be several ways to treat your condition, including eye exercises, prism and contour prism lenses, and MiWear glasses. Your eye doctor will determine what method is best for you.
What Is Eye Strain?
Eye strain, often called digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome, is a condition that develops when your eyes are overworked. After intense focus for an extended period of time, like reading small text or using a phone, your eyes are going to start feeling tired.
It often feels like your eyes are physically heavy or sore, and it’s a common indicator that they’re desperately in need of a break. Most of the time, this condition goes away a few hours after you’ve given your eyes a break, but in some situations, symptoms can last up to a few days.
How to Tell if You Have Eye Strain
The symptoms of eye strain often vary in severity. Because your eyes and brain are so closely linked, eye strain often causes you to develop a headache. It can cause dizziness, nausea, and even vertigo.
Eye strain can also cause:
- Blurred or double vision
- Difficulty focusing on near objects
- Migraines
- Pain in the neck, shoulders, or back
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Feelings of dryness or irritation in the eyes
- Reduced concentration and productivity
The symptoms can occur on their own or in a mixed combination, which can sometimes make it difficult to tell whether you have eye strain or something else. This makes it essential to seek the advice of your optometrist. Getting a proper diagnosis for your eye strain can help you make a plan to avoid this condition in the future.
Do Glasses Help With Eye Strain?
Regular glasses or contact lenses typically don’t make a significant difference if you’re trying to avoid eye strain. They simply aren’t designed to address this specific issue—instead, they’re designed to make your vision clearer than before.
There are specialty glasses that may be able to help with eye strain. They’re designed to make it easier for your eyes to focus on what’s in front of you without overworking your eyes. One type of these glasses is MiWear glasses by Percept.
What Are MiWear Glasses?
MiWear glasses are specially designed to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of digital screens. They’re classified as headache and migraine glasses, but can also help with eye strain. They’re designed with specialty lenses that help filter out harmful light rays emitted by screens to reduce the strain on your eyes.
These glasses use something called “FL-41 lenses,” which make it much more comfortable to spend time using screens. They also have an enhanced color contrast that makes it much easier to read text, both digital and printed.
MiWear can be an excellent way to avoid developing digital eye strain. And when they’re used in combination with other preventative measures, you can go back to using screens as much as you need to.
Tips for Preventing Eye Strain
When it comes to eye strain, it can help to take a multi-pronged approach. Instead of changing one thing here or there, try making several small adjustments. If you’re experiencing this condition often, you should visit your optometrist. They can evaluate what may be causing your symptoms to develop before recommending an appropriate type of treatment.
In the meantime, it can be beneficial to:
- Take regular breaks when using screens
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule, and every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds
- Adjust the lighting in your environment to reduce screen glare
- Optimize your screen settings so it’s easier on your eyes
- Make sure to practice proper posture
This can help you avoid triggering eye strain by making your environment comfortable and efficient. It reduces the stress on your eyes when they’re trying to do their job!
What to Do if You Have Eye Strain
If you’re suffering from eye strain, come visit us at Golden Vision Optometry. We can provide a diagnosis for your eye strain and give our professional recommendations on alleviating your symptoms. We can discuss MiWear and help determine if it’s a good choice for you. Book an appointment with us to get started today.
