It goes without saying that light is an essential element of vision. But there are certain kinds of light that may cause eye strain and have long-term negative effects on our eyes. In today’s post, local low vision specialist Joel H McGahen OD shares tips that can help reduce eye strain.
Workplace lighting isn’t always optimized for the eyes. While the hours spent staring at the computer screen is part of the problem, other lights in your office may be making it worse. Most types of office lighting utilizes harsh lighting that can contribute to eye strain. If possible use fewer light bulbs or switch to warm lighting. If you happen to be near a window, reduce glare by closing the blinds, adjusting your workstation or getting eyeglasses with anti-reflective coating on the lenses.
Unlike the workplace, you can choose the lighting that you need for your home. While task lighting is often associated with kitchen lighting, you can use the same principles for other parts of the house. Desk lamps can help prevent eye strain caused by reading using ambient lights. If you experience signs of eye strain after hours of reading or working on your home computer, ask your local eye doctor about eyewear or treatment.
Generally, humans need more lighting as they age. The lighting that you might have been comfortable using 20 years ago probably isn’t sufficient now. If your current home lighting seems dim and/or uncomfortable, this means you may need to change the light bulbs in your home to brighter ones or install more task lighting.
There are things that you can do to help reduce eye strain at home and at work. One that you may already have heard of is the “20-20-20 Rule,” which means for every 20 minutes spent on the computer, you should spend 20 seconds looking at an object 20 feet away. This helps combat computer eye strain, and is a habit worth developing. Also, avoiding reading or working at the parts of your home where there’s strong glare can also help.
Joel H McGahen OD is your leading provider of contact lenses and other eye care products and services. Give us a call at (717) 264-4012. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve clients in Shippensburg and Greencastle, PA, as well as surrounding communities in Pennsylvania.