Staring at screens all day can leave your eyes feeling tired, dry, and strained. If your symptoms persist, you might be experiencing digital eye strain. This condition is common among people who spend extended time on computers, tablets, or phones. Fortunately, Spectrum Eye Care offers digital eye strain treatment in Colorado Springs that can help reduce discomfort and protect your vision.
In this blog, we’ll explore how long digital eye strain can last, what symptoms to look for, and what you can do to manage it.
What is digital eye strain?
Also known as computer vision syndrome, digital eye strain occurs when your eyes become fatigued from prolonged screen use. It can affect people of all ages and is often linked to poor lighting, screen glare, improper posture, or uncorrected vision issues.
Digital eye strain symptoms
Common symptoms include:
- Blurred or double vision
- Dry, irritated, or watery eyes
- Headaches
- Eye fatigue
- Neck or shoulder pain
How long does digital eye strain typically last?
The duration of digital eye strain depends on the severity of your symptoms and how often you’re exposed to screens. For most people, symptoms may last a few hours and resolve with rest and screen breaks. However, if you’re exposed to screens daily without proper eye protection, symptoms can become chronic and impact your productivity and comfort.
If your symptoms persist beyond a few days, scheduling a comprehensive eye exam might be the next best step. Your eye doctor can rule out underlying issues such as uncorrected vision, dry eye, or binocular vision dysfunction.
How to relieve digital eye strain
Protecting your eyes daily can help reduce the effects of screen use. Try the following strategies:
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds
- Use proper lighting and reduce glare with a matte screen filter
- Adjust your screen brightness and contrast to a comfortable level
- Blink often to keep your eyes moist
- Consider specialty computer glasses or blue light–filtering lenses
Could it be dry eye?
Digital eye strain and dry eye often go hand in hand. Focusing on screens reduces your blink rate, leading to dryness and irritation. If your eyes feel gritty, dry, or irritated, you may benefit from dry eye treatment alongside other screen-related solutions.
Are your glasses making it worse?
Wearing the wrong eyewear or having an outdated prescription could exacerbate your symptoms. Our optometrists can help you determine if your eyeglasses are contributing to your discomfort and recommend lenses that better support your digital lifestyle.
Find relief from digital eye strain
If digital eye strain is interfering with your daily routine, it’s important to take it seriously. Left unaddressed, symptoms can linger or worsen over time. A comprehensive eye exam can help us identify whether your discomfort is caused by screen use alone or if other vision issues are at play. With the right care and recommendations, relief is well within reach.
Schedule an appointment at Spectrum Eye Care today to protect your vision and ease your digital fatigue.
